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# What about Joseph Kone ? Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Papua New Guinea
GerardBee 12:17 UTC 06 Aug 2018 | Hi all, I have got a strang question. A friend of mine, travelling by the name of Reeli(ka), booked a trip with Joseph Kone for 7 days on the Sepik River. On her arrival on July 22th, she missed her flight to Wewak and she was told that Joseph Kone was in prison and some other Jospeh would be her new guide. She had quite some difficulties in getting in touch with this second Joseph by cell phone. After Sepik Reeli was going to Muschu Island for a day or 2 and then on to the highlands. My last contact with Reeli was on July 23th, early morning PNG time, when she still was in Port Moresby. Since that moment I have not heard anything from her; she does not react on emails. My questions are: is this story over Joseph Kone known to anyone ? Is anyone on this forum in contact with Reeli ? Thanks in advance for you reactions, Jerry |
majordom 12:57 UTC 06 Aug 2018 | joseph kone is in prison for keeping a clints money meant to pay fo artefacts separately a fake joseph kone has been perpetrating classic internet scams on hopeful tourists it is possible joseph was impersonating himself but i think not and the scammers are a distinct group i know people on sepik now around ambunti and can ask around through them - where is she from? travelling alone ? joininga group ? | 1
GerardBee 10:42 UTC 07 Aug 2018 | Hi Majordom, Reelika is travelling alone. She is (I think) in her thirsties, living in Germany, I think she is Letvanian by birth. As said, she arrived in PNG on July 22th. She send me her travelling, but missed her flight on the 22nd to Wewak: "On you arrival meet you at the airport and depart to Pagwi. Transfer to motorized canoe go upper river visit Avatip overnight at Ambunti according to time. (22. Of July) Day1:visit upper river visit villages include in the itinerary send earlier including Suakap and overnight Wagu lake guest house. Day 2:Early morning see the bueatfull Bird of paradise. Back to guest house for breakfast then visit waterfall then Depart to middle sepik visit Korogo,Palimbe,Kanganamun and over night Kamanibit where i come from. Day 3:Stay at my village Kamanibit do village activity,see arts and crafts at Bowie arts center. After dinner crocodile hunting. Day 4:Depart to black water lakes. Visit Mameri,Kanganamun,overnight Guvamas. Day 5:Visit Guvamas lake, Aganamai, back to Guvamas. After lunch 25 minits track to the waterfall. Afternoon see the boys in the spirit house preper for skin cutting (crocodile mark on their back) overnight Guvamas. Day 6:Depart Black water visit Kabriman,Mindibit and overnight Kamanibit. Day 7: Depart Kamanibit visit pottery village of Aibom,Chambri lake,Wombun, after lunch to Pagwi transfer to Wewak, depart Wewak by boat into Mushu Island for overnight." Maybe I am worried for nothing, but I do hope you can find some information on her. Regards, Jerry | 2
putiru1984749 21:46 UTC 07 Aug 2018 | Ree is ok, I spoke to her on saturday. I am the tourist who put him in jail and now I am trying to assist tourist to find reliable guides. Unfortunately there is also a scammer who still trying to get money from tourist impersonating to be the real guid and I am hunting him too. Ree approached me when she arrived to port morseby and after she told me what email address of "Joseph" she was using I had to inform her that she actually sent her money to the scammer. I than assisted her, she was also in the highlands with the assistant of a friend of mine who lives there. she talked to me on Saturday when she was on the way to kavieng. In a week she is back home. Hope I answered your question. Ori | 3
putiru1984749 22:02 UTC 07 Aug 2018 | majordom he is not in jail for keeping my money meant to pay for artifacts and I don't know where you got this from. The true story is as follow: I traveled with Joseph 2.5 years ago, and ever since I opened his Facebook page and helped voluntarily for 2.5 years building his business with Facebook negotiating with clients and referring them to him. I planned a very long trip with him, sent him a huge amount of money but when I arrived I discovered that he just wasted all the money and he even tried to get more money from me to make the trip. I made him believe I am actually going to get more money but then handed him to the police. I than decided to use his name and his Facebook page to help tourist travel the Papua New Guinea with reliable guides and in decent prices. I am in the process of building a community of reliable guides who will work by the standards I set for them. There are just too many scammers out there. Unfortunately PNG is a country with few laws and a lot of wild. | 4
GerardBee 08:34 UTC 08 Aug 2018 | Hi Ori, Majordom, Thanks for your reactions. It is correct that Reeli planned to go to the HIghlands and New Ireland after Sepik. I really do hope that she is well and will arrive back in Germany. Thanks again, Jerry | 5
putiru1984749 08:47 UTC 08 Aug 2018 | I sent her a message to contact you and i am on messenger with her right now. She is well. | 6
majordom 05:43 UTC 09 Aug 2018 | the artefact story is from several sources on the river as the story going around do you have a link to the reporting or a press cutting image ? | 7
Thorn Tree 01:00 UTC 10 Aug 2019 | This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you. | 8