Enare Bong (@petitenare), a well-known travel influencer who manages the Instagram account @instaG0travels, has been accused of defrauding a Nigerian woman out of ₦5.4 million in a concerning case of fraud that has surfaced in the travel industry.
Frustrated, Abimbola Azeezat is requesting a refund for the payment that was made between February and May 2024 for an Albanian work visa that has not yet been issued.
According to Azeezat, a travel influencer suggested that she get in touch with @instaG0travels in February 2024.
The travel agency’s operator, Bong, allegedly told Azeezat that acquiring an Albanian work visa would cost €4,000, but that 60% of the total cost had to be paid up front, or ₦3 million at the current exchange rate.
The payment was made by Azeezat, which transferred ₦2 million in February and another ₦1 million in March. The situation swiftly deteriorated, though, when the visa application was abandoned and Bong failed to offer any meaningful updates or assistance.
When asked if she would reimburse the money for services that were not provided, Bong allegedly persisted in holding up the procedure and making irrational, alternative suggestions, leaving Azeezat perplexed and disappointed.
The remaining 2.4 million naira was paid by Azeezat in May, making a total of 5.4 million naira. However, no visa had been processed, and there was no sign that the promised service would be provided.
As Bong apparently stopped answering Azeezat’s questions and broke his refund promises, the situation worsened. In fact, screenshots posted on social media show that Bong repeatedly postponed the refund date, pushing back repayment promises just to be ignored or disregarded.
Azeezat found the numerous additional visa options that Bong allegedly attempted to present to her particularly unsettling, as none of them appeared to be feasible. In one case, Bong allegedly recommended a “digital nomad visa” in spite of Azeezat’s lack of formal education.
In a different instance, as the Olympics drew near, Bong recommended a “Olympic visa.” However, when Azeezat asked when the visa would expire (it was only good for 20 days), Bong allegedly replied that she could “seek asylum” later. Azeezat became more concerned about Bong’s intentions as a result of this unconventional and unworkable advice.
The most revealing indication of Bong’s incapacity or unwillingness to provide the service that was paid for was probably her repeated promises that Azeezat would receive a refund by the end of October or the beginning of November 2024—promises that came and went without any resolution.
Even after begging Bong and even offering to take 40% of the refund, Azeezat was informed that Bong’s “employer” had the money. However, based on information discovered on Bong’s social media accounts, her profile states that she is the proprietor of @instaG0travels, raising questions about who is actually in charge of the current circumstance.
As her frustrations mounted, Azeezat took to social media to share her story and caution others about doing business with @instaG0travels.
Since then, her story has gained widespread attention, with many people leaving supportive and indignant comments.
“I’m going to start this thread with receipt of ₦5.4 million paid to Enare Bong @petitenare of @instaG0travels between February and May 2024 for Albanian Work Visa.”
“I’m doing this for two reasons:”
“1. So that other people will not fall into this Venus flytrap.”
“2. So that the lady, Abimbola Azeezat gets her money back.”
“In February, a travel influencer recommended @instaG0travels and Azeez Abimbola messaged them.”
“@petitenare told her that Albanian work visa would cost her €4,000 but she would need to pay 60% upfront. 60% of it then was ₦3 million. She paid ₦2M in February and ₦1M in March as you can see in the receipt above.”
“Meanwhile, Enare was asked if she would refund for services undelivered, as shown in the screenshot here. By May, the lady paid the remaining ₦2.4 million but nothing has shown since.”
“Since then, it has been a cascade of disappointments and frustration. She either promises refund and defaults, or try to subtly enforce other types of difficult arrangements that doesn’t make sense on her.”
“In slide 1, you can see Spain, Mauritius and digital nomad visa mentioned. She knows that this lady stopped at primary school, yet she’s suggesting “digital nomad”
“In slide 2, she’s asking the lady to take Olympic Visa when the Olympics was approaching. She sent it as a “view once” but the lady was smart enough to take a picture with another phone. When asked about what would happen after the visa expires (20 days), she said the lady can seek asylum. I don’t want to laugh.”
“In the last line of slide 1, you can see the disappointment after she mentioned that they would be refunded by October ending/early November. It means this is not the first time she’s postponing the refund.”
“From the series of unreasonable options she’s trying to force on Abimbola, it’s obvious she cannot deliver what she was paid for. Why isn’t she willing to refund. The lady even cried in her DM for her to refund even if it is 40% but she’s claiming her employer is with the money. Meanwhile, on her profile @drpaulenenche claims she owns @instaG0travels . Who is now the employer?”
Published by Ejoh Caleb
