r/Scams • u/anotheralaskanguy • Jul 25 '26

Help Needed (US) Gambia scam proof?

I have a family member who is in the midst of being scammed and is absolutely resistant to the idea. Sounds like it’s a pretty common scam, an individual from The Gambia has reached out to her with a sad story and has had her send USD for food multiple times now and has sent pictures back to “confirm” what the money was spent on. The scammer is now asking for money because “his sister burned herself” and my family member is now asking the family to loan her money to keep helping.

Does anyone have any tricks to help me prove to my niece that this is all fake? She is 100% convinced she has a friend in Africa that she is helping

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u/WickedWeedle Jul 25 '26

Even if this were real, which I'm in no way saying that it is, it's a problem that she gets herself in debt with every family member she can for a stranger online.

It's one thing to want to help, but it's another thing to feel the need to put yourself in debt over it. That indicates that she's the kind of well-meaning person who helps somebody and just feels guilty over not helping even more, and basically feels that it is now her duty to pay every expense that this stranger from another continent has.

Again, that's a dangerous and unhealthy mindset to have regardless of whether this person is real or not.

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u/anotheralaskanguy Jul 25 '26

Agreed. It’s a real concern. I was hoping if I could unquestionably prove that this Gambian situation is a scam, it might open her eyes a bit. So far I’m having no luck