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Original poster

Civil unrest Cameroon - friend trapped

100 replies

Singlein2020 · 22/01/2020 18:01

I have a friend "patience" who went to Cameroon to stay with family for christmas. She was due back last Friday.
On Thursday, i got a call from someone who said she was patience's cousin and she was calling on her behalf as pateince's phone had run out of battery and there was no electricity. Patience was due to fly to Uk that day and I was collecting her from the airport on friday. The cousin said she was going to miss her flight as they were trapped in an area and couldn't travel, that there was bombers and killings happening and they weren't safe. They were in a war zone. The cousin said that patience had no money for a new flight. I asked what I could do and she hung up / was cut off.

I have heard nothing from that call.

I have been trying to call both Patience and her cousin but straight to voice mail. I have messaged and emailed.
I have been scouring online to see what I can find out about what is happening but I can see little. I know the airport is still open.
I am really worried about her but don't have contacts for any family she has over there.

Does anyone have any ideas how I can find out what is happening and how I might find out how / where she is?

OP posts:
TurduckenFucken · 22/01/2020 18:06

Call the Foreign Office?

Fluffycloudland77 · 22/01/2020 18:06

Is she a UK citizen?.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 22/01/2020 18:08

You can call the foreign office but you should also be aware that this could be a scam. Do you know anyone else on her contacts list and have they been contacted? Please be very careful about sending money.

Original poster
Singlein2020 · 22/01/2020 18:44

Thanks folks.
She is a UK citizen.

I called the foreign office and they suggested I contact airlines to see if she travelled, report her missing to local police here, get them to report through to Interpol so they can contact authorities in Cameroon.

OP posts:
AllideasAndNoAction · 22/01/2020 18:49

I haven’t heard anything about unrest in Cameroon and as you didn’t speak to Patience herself and there was a mention of her needing money I’d be very very suspicious indeed. I’d take the advice of the foreign office.

stripeypillowcase · 22/01/2020 18:55

unfortunately it sounds like a common scam.
apparently my brother got caught out in the fires in australia and needed money... he wasn't able to travel due to sickness and was sitting next to me when his 'friend' called to ask for money.

I hope your friend is fine

user3575796673 · 22/01/2020 18:57

I called the foreign office and they suggested I contact airlines to see if she travelled, report her missing to local police here, get them to report through to Interpol so they can contact authorities in Cameroon

Ok, so have you done that?

ClaudiaWankleman · 22/01/2020 18:58

The main threat of violence in Cameroon is from Boko Haram, near the border with Nigeria. Have you got any idea where she may be?

www.iol.co.za/news/boko-haram-rebels-kill-six-destroy-military-control-posts-in-cameroon-41011764 This is too recent to be what the caller was talking about.

I would follow the FCO's suggestions and keep calm. She may have just decided to stay a few more days!

Original poster
Singlein2020 · 22/01/2020 19:21

Yep -User I am on it.

I reported to local police. They were bemused but will get a call back. They also thought it was worthwhile waiting longwr.

Am looking up airlines. I only know flight details for internalmuk flight so hard to work out whom she may have flown with as she could have got out of country but joined another airline company for flight to UK. Doubtful they will tell me anything but will try tomorrow.

OP posts:
PicsInRed · 22/01/2020 19:34

Have you ever met patience face to face?

If not, she doesn't exist.

Original poster
Singlein2020 · 22/01/2020 19:39

I have met her! She exists.
There have been no requests for koneyt

OP posts:
FunnyInjury · 22/01/2020 19:44

OP posts that her friend is missing.

Her friend ffs.

The not so subtle xenophobia/racism is pretty nasty on this thread.

OP, leave her a text to say you are worried, let the FO know the outcome of your airline investigation, and keep all your fingers crossed that shes ok. Not much more you can do sadly Sad

Original poster
Singlein2020 · 22/01/2020 19:45

Sorry - no requests for money

OP posts:
SuperPixie247 · 22/01/2020 20:04

Can you speak to mutual friends and ask if they have received similar calls? Do you know any of her family in Cameroon you can call?

Surely others will start noticing her missing? Her place of work for example.

MinesAPintOfTea · 22/01/2020 20:09

The well-known scam is usually for IRL friends. Scammers get their travel details and friends off social media and contact directly to try to get money to "get them out" of difficult situations.

I hope you hear from your friend soon OP. Good luck with the airlines. Is there anyone else who might have full travel details? Try a colleague of you know one - full details could easily be saved in her work calendar

ElderAve · 22/01/2020 20:12

It does sound very scam like, except for the fact that this is a real life friend, who was booked on a return flight and there have been no requests for money.

I'd still be really careful OP, does it make sense that the cousin phoned rather than letting Patience use her phone?

Were the foreign office aware of trouble in the area she traveled to?

Xiaoxiong · 22/01/2020 20:14

Funny what are you on about re: racism. This is a well known scam, I had the same with my godmother in a European country - got a call saying she had lost her phone and her purse, this supposed Good Samaritan was calling me on her behalf to ask for money to get home.

However, I very quickly could confirm that the story was bullshit, whereas OP's friend is apparently still missing, is that right? Has she been missed from work?

PicsInRed · 22/01/2020 20:16

The not so subtle xenophobia/racism is pretty nasty on this thread.

It's a scam so well known as to be instantly recognisable.

OP, if you do know this person face to face, it's likely that her social media has been compromised somehow - perhaps her handbag/phone stolen or inadvertently left herself logged in at a hotel or cyber cafe.

It goes without saying - if there's more contact, don't send money to anyone operating "on her behalf". I really doubt she's in any danger or knows anything about this.

ElderAve · 22/01/2020 20:27

It is odd that Patience is actually missing though. Does she have family in UK, other friends, can you contact her employers and check if they were expecting her back OP?

PanicAndRun · 22/01/2020 21:11

Maybe contact her place of work, they will know when she is due to show up and if she has missed any work.
Does she live nearby? Can you drive by her house?

Any family or other friends in the UK you can contact?

PanicAndRun · 22/01/2020 21:16

While it is possible,it's very unlikely for everything to be perfectly fine but at the same time your friend to be missing and uncontactable for a whole week.

One option would be scam/phone stolen, and her being extremely pissed off at you if she DID arrive on Friday and you weren't there.

memaymamo · 22/01/2020 22:56

I have several Cameroonian friends. The civil conflict is extremely real, it's in the anglophone areas where they're being severely persecuted. The situation has created many thousands of refugees and displaced people.

I can't help with how to find your friend but just wanted to say I would not consider this any kind of a scam!

Original poster
Singlein2020 · 22/01/2020 23:30

I am not considering this a scam. I know Patience through a mutual hobby so we are not best friends and tbh I know very little of her life and personal details. I have a vague idea if her dob.

I have no contacts for her family but I am worried. I know her mother had been displaced and that alot if what it is like in reality is not reported in the news.

The official guidance is not to travel to most areas but I am not sure where exactly she was going after arrving.

She was due back and has not returned. I feel powerless to know how to find her to see if she is ok. She was due back to work on Monday and no contact.

I will follow up on what I can tomorrow but I hoping I get some form of contact.

OP posts:
Original poster
Singlein2020 · 22/01/2020 23:38

I feel embarrassed at how little I know of her and her life. It's so much focused on the here and now and not enough on other parts.
I think if she turned up at the airport on Friday and was annoyed I wasn't there, she would have let me know. I really think she hasn't come back as yet. The reason for that I don't know and I just want to know she is ok. I am going to try and see if ok can find anyone else who knows her well enough to be in contact.

OP posts:
memaymamo · 22/01/2020 23:40

Yes OP, didn't mean you thought it was a scam, you are clearly genuinely worried for your friend Thanks. I was responding to some of the other posts that were suspicious.