A woman recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her frustration after discovering that a former classmate, who claimed to be in financial distress, used donations from well-wishers to relocate to Canada with her family.
In a series of tweets, Ego-Mbute shared that she was added to a WhatsApp group in March 2023. The group’s admin explained that the purpose was to raise funds for an ex-classmate who was pregnant with her third child and whose husband was unemployed. The situation was presented as a dire emergency.
According to Ego-Mbute, members of the group made contributions ranging from N50,000 to as much as N500,000 to support the struggling family. However, to her shock, on January 1, 2024, she stumbled upon a Facebook post by the same classmate, celebrating eight months of living in Canada with her family.
Feeling betrayed, Ego-Mbute immediately contacted the WhatsApp group admin for clarification. The admin revealed that the lady had blocked her after receiving the funds, cutting off all communication.
Mixed Reactions from Netizens
The incident sparked a heated discussion online, with many sharing their opinions on the situation:
- @OjiUgo_nwa: “People can be so wicked. This act will discourage others from helping those truly in need.”
- @SuDevelopers: “I wouldn’t have contributed a kobo if I knew she was pregnant with a third child while her husband was jobless. Irresponsibility should not be rewarded.”
- @SoloJah1: “This reminds me of someone in my area who scammed everyone. When he finally scammed me, I spoke out, and others shared their stories too. He eventually fled the neighborhood.”
- @samchido3: “Everyone who contributed deserves an explanation. The admin should officially address this with the group.”
- @slimlinn: “Post screenshots of the chats. Contributors have a right to know how their money was spent.”
- @jerry_emy: “This isn’t new. Someone scammed my secondary school group using a similar sob story. Some people have no conscience.”
This incident highlights the challenges of crowdfunding for personal emergencies, as cases like this erode trust and deter people from helping others in genuine need.
