We have contacted to one of the Oil Exporter in Cameroon named Union Biodiesel Estate Ltd. Cameroon for our Oil requirement, before we could contact them we searched for their name in google.com , we found their postings in all most all B2B sites, they have been listed as Trustpass member of Alibaba.com , where alibaba.com guarantees the authenticity of the supplier by third party verification agencies.
Upon contacting the Union Biodiesel we got in touch with Mr. James Tab, who has offered us RBD Palm oil and Refined Sunflower oil, after negotiations with them we agreed to make payment by 100% Cash against documents.
We have signed the sale purchase contract with them and sent all our label printing to complete the shipment in schedule as per mentioned in contract.
We have requested the seller to provide Invitation Letter to visit Cameroon , instead of providing they have wasted a lot of time saying it takes a lot of time to get it legalised.
We have requested them to send photos of loading also the stocks after its duly packed for loading.
We were sent Photoshop edited photos , which created a doubt against the seller.
Then we started deep search for the seller on Internet.
While browsing several forums we came to know that this Union Biodiesel Estate Ltd. Cameroon has already duped several people with same pattern.
http://www.ecplaza.net/forum/forumpub.do?cmd=replylist&tid=718&fid=2
Then to gather the documentary proof we just passed time putting pressure on the seller for timely delivery.
Then the seller informed he has loaded 36 containers in one single day , which is was very much surprising, and in same day he finished SGS inspection , Customs clearance, Fumigation , Insurance, Phyto-Sanitary Certificate, Certificate of Origin , Health Certificate. We are surprised how fast Cameroon is in making shipments and arranging shipments.
Finally he sent scanned copies of documents through email.
Firstly the BL number is non-standard, secondly the container number given some of them was of 40 Feet High Cube containers and some did not exists.
After checking vessel details we came to know that the vessel name mentioned is a Crude Oil Tanker from Bahamas, not a container vessel.
Also the vessel sailing date is 27th May 2009 and the shipped onboard date is 26th May 2009,
Then we checked for other documents , All the other documents including SGS was forged and edited in Photoshop.
We were forced to make payments against copies of documents,
We then started counting mistakes and fraud he has been doing to us , instead of agreeing he started saying that I’m real and genuine , I have enquired about your company and your company doesn’t exists in Saudi Arabia.
Then he disconnected from Skype and also not responding to our phone calls.
We have all documentary proof and we want this scammer to be arrested to protect all business people to be duped from this scammer.
Details of Scammer
Company : Union Biodiesel Estate Ltd.
Address : P.O.Box 148 Ekondo-Titi, South West Province, Republic of Cameroon, West Africa.
Phone Numbers : +237 33103982, Mobile : +237 99008376 , Fax : +237 33451527
Contact Persons : James Taba / Christopher Ndi. / Mohammed Ibn Sarki.
Email address : unionbiodieselestate@yahoo.com
Request : Never trust Alibaba.com Trustpass or Gold Members , they can be fraud like this one.
Always go for secure payments.
Always ask photos of stocks, and 4 photos of each container loading.
Insist on personal visit.
Always appoint SGS from own side, instead of asking seller to give SGS inspection.
Always track the seller with personal or official contacts.
We have geared ourselves to fight against business scammers , kindly get in touch with us for any suggestions and help to track such fraud.
This post was submitted by Vinay.
June 10th, 2009 at 6:05 am
I wish I found this site a few days ago. They made out with app. 1,500 U.S. dollars. They really seemed legit and so did the trust-pass they contained. This is really a shame. I thank you for hopefully helping another person. If there is any information about anything I should or could do to help put this scamer to a stop please inform me at mcglock25@hotmail.com! Once again I wish I seen this first thanks!
July 6th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Thank you for the information. I am currently in negotiations with a company exporting cassava/tapioca powder in Cameroon. They are North West Traders, Ltd. I cannont find any verification of them. They have accepted our terms 100% L/C at sight, but they want $250 for the phytosanitary certificate to send a sample. I have never had this anywhere before. Where can I contact a thrird party to do the phytosanitary document? Anyone can email me at jgray@jayandmartin.com. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
July 7th, 2009 at 12:48 am
The solution to these scams is quite simple. Before you do business with anyone, as in this case, ask for your home country’s embassy help, say the U.S. embassy, to verify the legitimacy of the company. These scammers are Nigerians disguised as Cameroonians whose scams’ tactics have run their course with the Nigeria label on it. Now, their new victim, among others, is Cameroon, whose name has been dragged into the mud. One must recall that Cameroon is bilingual, with French and English as official languages. So, these crooks have certainly taken advantage of the English language they share with Cameroon to perpetrate their criminal acts.
I couldn’t emphasize this more, that is, have your home country’s embassy check the legitimacy of your business partners.
From a just Cameroonian to you.
August 6th, 2009 at 2:17 am
Dear mr. Vinay,
I’m also fighting against this kind of scams,
I would wish to get in touch with you please email me
h.r.valino@gmail.com
August 10th, 2009 at 10:46 am
I am really disgusted from these scams because my company has also suffered the same consequences as everyone else on this blog. We ordered two 20 ft containers of RBD palm olein from two different companies stationed in Douala Cameroon. Everything was fine at the begining including all the neccessary documents and procedures. However, as time went by and the delivery deadline was getting narrower, problems started arousing. Suddenly, the so called sales managers were not available any more and what was even more surpsising is the fact that even the shipping companies (or their artificial imitations) were involved as well. Since this is not the first scam coming from Cameroon, I think that it is really a shame what these people do both to their country and to other business entities that express willingness to establish mutual business cooperation with Cameroon. My company will wait few days more and then we will do everything we can to stop these degenerates of doing the same thing to others. We will adress to every embassy and every cameroonian institution in the world both with documents and undeniable proofs of fraud.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:39 am
Many people are affraid to give out information. I am very willing to furnish any information that will be helpful. Population sensitisation is very needy now and the general cooperation of the law enforcement officers is primodial. When I see foreigners being victimised like this, I feel very teerible. I think the government of our country should do something extra to portray their willingness to stop this disgraceful and dishonest ways of making money. Being a law abiding country, I think a security and investigating machinery should be set up to track down persons using fraudulent government official documents for their selfish aims. When we have an educated community without any morals and jobs, they will be bound to do terrible things like these, but I bet you when they get involve in using my fatherlands’ documents falsely…
August 18th, 2009 at 10:44 am
u guys need to be scammed ok??, i wish i lay my hands on you guys and you are going to loose close to $1000000. Dickheads
please email me at walewale2030@gmail.com for advice
September 21st, 2009 at 10:49 pm
FALSE CAMEROON VEGETABLE OIL COMPANIES
FRIENDS….. DON’T PAY PREMATURE – SAMPLES/COURIER FREIGHTS/CERTIFICATES / docs….
for any Cameroon companies or Cameroon People
IT IS A FRAUD!!!
October 10th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
IS YAHOO IN ON THIS???
The phone numbers for this scam correspond with phone numbers used by “Cameroon Puppy Scams” — most of those criminals re from the same group. What is strange (and frightening) is the FACT that YAHOO is not shutting down e-mail accounts of those SCAMMERS!
On many occasions, abuse@Yahoo.com sends reply:
[quote]
In this particular case, we have taken appropriate action against the
Yahoo! account in question, as per our Terms of Service (TOS). For
further details about the Yahoo! TOS, you can visit:
[/quote]
But those accounts remain working! My assumption is that YAHOO has some insiders helping CRIMINALS defraud money from people…. Hotmail and Google reacts much faster and they do close fraudulent accounts. Maybe that’s the reasons WHY SCAMMERS MOSTLY USE YAHOO FREE E-MAIL TO COMIT INTERNATIONAL EXTORTION CRIMES?
October 11th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
There is no way to fight those scammers since YAHOO is protecting them! YAHOO never closes accounts of those CRIMINALS!
October 28th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Dear Sir,
Thanks for the good work you are doing. Please presently i am about to sign a contact for the purchase of used refined and crude palm oil. I dont know have geniun they are. The neame of the company is camoil coorperation ltd cameroon. Please advice and if possible give contact of geniun sellers of used palm oil in cameroon. thank you.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:11 am
I had a similar experience where cameroonians took my money, and no goods was delivered, after searcing and searcing for help, i came upon the website http://www.african-union.za.org, i made a complained by the invetigations department and send them all the documents,within two months they contacted me and said they have arrested the perpetrators and that i must testify against them, i was scared first,african chamber assured me that i will be under there protection, i arrived in douala cameroon where i was escorted by african union safety personnel, the trial was held and two other people was also there who was scammed, we testified and told our story the 2 pertrators each received 10years jail term, you must work with this organization they are very good and they help realy help you.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:41 am
It is extremely dangerous for any person to conclude any business deal in cameroon without consulting an investigator to verify the legitimacy of companies he want to do business with. my email address is marksman7647@yahoo.com. contact me and i will link you to an investigator who saved me from paying my life’s savings to these con men in cameroon.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Dear friends, Thanks God I did not do biz with cameroon company. I was in contact with a company called fako agriculture corporation.I got his name from ALi baba. In first email he wrote his name mahamed,in second email he wrote his name ahmedia,in third email he wrote his name Fing fing,I got confused,I contacted the real comeroon chamber of comerce industry Doaula. The president of the CCCI wrote me,do not pay any money to these people,if you do biz with cameroon ,send money though CCCI and they will pay the seller. So i got the idea of curreption and stoped doing biz with cameroon. So I do always do reseach on the inter net.and contact the real authorities. one of them is CCCI daoula office,they will send you correct info. hope that helps. Tnx