608 complaints have now been filed with the Consumer Council of Fiji regarding the EbayShop recruitment scam with a combined monetary value of over $1 million.
The council received an additional 186 complaints related to the pyramid scheme, spanning from Monday to 4pm yesterday. The monetary value of these recent complaints amounts to a staggering $334,749.
Council CEO, Seema Shandil says one distressing case the council received involved an individual who invested his entire life savings, amounting to $32,000, into this deceitful scheme.
Shandil says this unfortunate situation has left the individual in great distress and financial uncertainty.
In another heart-wrenching case, a desperate mother motivated to gain money for her paraplegic son’s care, was coerced into ‘investing’ the little savings she had set aside. The promise of substantial earnings misled her into risking her hard-earned money, illustrating the insidious tactics employed by these fraudsters.
Shandil is reiterating the council's commitment to combat such fraudulent activities, saying, as more and more Fijians are coming forward with their stories, they are now able to get a clearer picture of the scale of this scheme.
She says these cases are revealing the kind of damage financial scams can cause, and they underscore the importance of collective action.
Shandil also stresses the importance of consumer education and awareness, stating, empowering consumers with knowledge and vigilance is the key.
The council is actively engaged with the Multi-Interagency Taskforce, led by the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives, SMEs, and Communications.
Shandil says this collaboration aims to devise effective strategies and actions to address the EbayShop Online pyramid scheme and other similar scams and protect consumers from further harm.
Individuals who have fallen victim to the EbayShop Online Scam are urged to contact the council immediately through the national consumer helpline at 155 or via email at complaints@consumersfiji.org.
