A heartbreaking scene unfolded yesterday at Douala International Airport when a woman discovered that the travel documents she had paid for were fake.
Eyewitnesses say she moved around the terminal in tears. She kept calling the man who promised to help her travel to Europe. Her hands shook as she held the papers that were supposed to change her life.
She explained that she had paid him the full amount through mobile money. He told her to meet him directly at the airport, assuring her that everything was ready.
She trusted him.
She believed him.
But he vanished.
When she arrived, the man was nowhere to be seen. His phone was off. The documents he gave her were worthless.
Airport workers tried to comfort her as she cried, repeating that she had used all her savings. Passengers watched in silence, many shaken by the reality of her situation.
The incident has renewed fears over the growing number of fake travel agents preying on desperate people seeking better opportunities abroad. Many victims fall into the same trap, losing money, time, and hope.
Her painful experience underscores the importance of everyone verifying who they deal with. Dreams can collapse in seconds when placed in the wrong hands.
By Lucas Muma