On the pointy end of corruption
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (342081)
Rockingham, Australia
August 11, 2018 7:26am CST
My husband is part of a group that raises funds to install wells in small villages in Nepal. When he visited there several years ago, he made friends with a young girl who was very helpful to him. Since then, others of the group have met and befriended the girl.
They keep in touch on Facebook from time and time and recently she has been worried about her young nephew who has started school. She is worried about him getting a good education when there is little money to spare. So we have decided to help with the cost of his education although we are telling the lass we have found a sponsor.
Vince contacted the school to try to verify the exact cost of the fees. We were told what seemed a vastly inflated figure. After many emails back and forth and more problems getting the bank details to transfer the money, Vince sent off enough money for several months of school fees. This is not a great deal in Western terms.
However the girl has been back in touch saying the bank is saying they’ve only received about half of what we sent. So far we haven’t figured out a way to address this issue. It’s very sad but unless we can get it sorted we won’t be sending any more.
Photo is of the dried surface of a salt lake - a photo which doesn't really fit anywhere.
24 people like this
26 responses
@YrNemo (20255)
•
12 Aug 18
I sent some cyber friends some money for some decades since they seemed to be in need. I found out later that one made a good business out of asking for money from her cyber friends. She told us all some very sad tories about her situation, which I found out later that almost everything were lies. In actual fact, she is quite wealthy, especially since she invested wisely in some business ventures (entertainment area, from the money she got from me) and got a good weekly profit, doing nothing, just sit there internet chatting to cyber friends. Her weekly profit seems to be more than what I earn from my salary. She is still doing that to other cyber friends, telling them sad stories about her situations.
4 people like this
@YrNemo (20255)
•
13 Aug 18
@JudyEv One of my in laws, in her 80s-90s now, laughed hilariously whenever people mentioned karma. She said, 'look at me, I spent my whole life lying, cheating, conning people and did I get any bad karma? When I got cancer, I had thought that was it, karma had come to get me, but a few months later, modern medicines and treatments fixed the whole thing! Now I am healthy again, free of any ailment... There is no karma, believe me!'
I believe her! That woman was real mean to her own children and husbands and whoever happened to be in contact to her. (She is still alive and very healthy....)
3 people like this
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
11 Aug 18
That's the problem in some places: lies, theft, corruption and deception. 
4 people like this
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
12 Aug 18
@JudyEv If I give a considerable amount of money, I either give it directly to the individual or use an organization that I know is honest.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342081)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 18
@1hopefulman In the scheme of things this wasn't a lot of money. It costs us $30 every time we transfer money so there is no point in sending too small an amount. Hopefully we'll get it sorted this week.
2 people like this
@waflay (2737)
• Nairobi, Kenya
11 Aug 18
It happens in our society and you're not the only one who has ended up being manipulated because of your generosity. We have people who do not appreciate kindness and be cool with little they get, in fact, they see it as a mean of enriching themselves. Yep, taking your kindness for your weakness. However, it will be good to tell the lass the truth and let her know you already know the real amount that should be going to the school fees and go from there. If she is genuine and ready to help her nephew, then her response will tell it all. I hope you haven't changed your mind about helping the boy that truly need education.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (342081)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Aug 18
Because we're aware of their culture of 'taking from the rich' where they can we tried to ascertain the real fees from the school but they gave us a much higher figure than the girl. We do trust the girl more or less but wanted to safeguard ourselves and the temptation would be there to spend the money on food or whatever. We sent the money to the girl but the bank has given her less than we sent. We will be in contact with her again tomorrow but I don't know that there is much more she can do if the bank just keeps saying that's all there is. Vince is going there in October and can take the rest of the money needed for the year but we were hoping to pay for several years of schooling, sending money every few months.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
11 Aug 18
the girl seems to be trustworthy. i would send the money to her instead. of course, there should be an accounting of what they buy or pay for.
3 people like this
@marguicha (223777)
• Chile
12 Aug 18
I hope everyhing is solved and it is not a scam.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
11 Aug 18
sad that corruption there interferes with your efforts to help the young lady
2 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (47064)
• India
12 Aug 18
@JudyEv yes I know that thinking and sadly many in India too have it. Pathetic!
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (47064)
• India
12 Aug 18
@JudyEv some citizens too are not that great although most are good.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
12 Aug 18
Is some kind of direct Paypal style transfer possible there to cut outthe bank transfer process
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
13 Aug 18
@JudyEv never used Western Union so not sure how that works
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3249)
•
11 Aug 18
What a mess, and the school seems the culprit. Shameful!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342081)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Aug 18
The culture is that it's okay to charge more to Westerners as they are so rich but of course, that isn't our culture and while we might seem rich to them, we're not THAT rich in our country. We are paying for this out of the bits and pieces Vince gets for his photos.
@JudyEv (342081)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Aug 18
@compslick I think there is but the girl badly wants her nephew to go to a better school. We thought we could help.
@meganjaxt (190)
•
12 Aug 18
Keeping half the money sent by you as fees by the bank is hostile. Really bad as you were trying to help someone.
2 people like this
@allknowing (137771)
• India
12 Aug 18
Banks will not cheat but the school might. You must be having a bank statement. Just check there. It is easy to do that.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137771)
• India
12 Aug 18
@JudyEv Your account will be debited only after the recepient receives it. Without them receiving it if your account is debited then you should question your bank. What was the procedure followed? Was it a cheque transaction or debit/credit card?
Please do not give up. You can catch the culprit and I hope you will.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342081)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 18
@allknowing The money has gone from our account but the Nepal bank is saying we only sent x while we're saying we sent y. Now it's Monday we'll get on to it again. It was a bank transfer to the girl.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342081)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 18
Each country has different rules and regulations and that's fine but we need to find a way to transfer money safely without some of it going to those who shouldn't be getting it.
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
12 Aug 18
It is better to talk directly and pay the school instead of sending it to the beneficiary; or just a little amount for the allowances of the beneficiary. There could be some bank charges involved in the money transfer.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342081)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 18
It's very difficult to talk to anyone in Nepal and the school gave us incorrect information too so we don't really trust them. It will cost us $30 every time we transfer money so we don't want to send a small amount every month. Hopefully we'll get it sorted this week.
@Phinyf27 (82)
•
12 Aug 18
I could relate to the bank issue. My overseas client wired some money to a company I was acting in behalf of and for some reason only a partial amount was credited to the receiving bank. Not only that, I've been in contact with both banks and both of them are saying they don't have any problems on their end. It gets weird and you get to be passed back and forth. Then, the company decided to just waive the amount that was lost. I hope they fix their system. It's true it will really cause trust issues.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342081)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 18
This is pretty much what is happening here so far. But it only happened last week so we're keeping our fingers crossed that we can get it sorted this week. But certainly it will cause trust issues. Vince can pay for a year when he gets there in October but we hadn't planned going back each year to pay school fees! 
