Officials from the Pwint Lin Aye Myaing Refugee Camp located at the Myawaddy community monastery in Kayin State released a statement today saying there have been online requests for donations  to be made in their name. These online posts are a fraud and donors are being scammed.

The scam involves using social media posts placed on the Bayintnaung Market site,  calling for donations to be made to the  Pwint Lin Aye Myaing Monastery. The posts claim donations are needed for refugees, but camp officials say the posts are false and the online donated monies are not being received.

“I learned from an acquaintance the other day that they had donated to the refugee camp by an online donation. But that donation was never received.   Fortunately, the next day, he came to the camp and donated. Women in Bayintnaung Market also informed us that they too had made an online donation,” said a refugee camp official.

The Abbot of the Monastery is in charge of food, shelter and accommodation for the refugees. About 260 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from nearby villages and five Rock Mines in Pwint Lin Aye Myaing village are taking refuge at the refugee camp/monastery.

“Our refugee camp officials are not allowed to ask for online donations or  money or food to any of the relief groups other than  through the Aling Thit-Emergency Relief Charity,” according to the statement.

 Officers from the 3rd Border Guard Battalion and partner civil society relief groups are investigating the online scam, and fraud charges will be laid once the person’s responsible are identified.