Members of F-mobile, an online money scheme also known as Friendship money has spoken in defence of the scheme, saying the platform has been providing real income for its members, despite growing public debate and scepticism surrounding its operations.
According to a member from the Western province, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the scheme generates income for members mainly through the sale of electronic pin (e-pin) codes to new recruits, rather than through passive investment.
She added that members who already have funds in their e-wallets can sell e-pin codes to new members for registration.
“Each e-pin is sold at approximately $24USD, which new members pay in Solomon Islands dollars,” she said.
“When a new member pays for the e-pin, the seller later receives a refund of the $24USD into their e-wallet. That is where the benefit comes from,” she explained. “The company also benefits from the e-pin purchases.
She said the system allows members, especially those in the provinces to earn income even without direct access to international money transfer services such as Moneygram which are mainly available in Honiara.
“In the provinces we depend mostly on selling e-pins, because we don’t have those withdrawal services here. Recruitment has slowed because of negative news, but it has not stopped.
She further stated that F-mobile continues to engage members through regular zoom meetings to guide them on how to run their activities within the platform.
She emphasized that commissions are earned through active participation and recruitment, and not by simply depositing money and waiting for it to grow.
“If you don’t recruit, you don’t not expect commissions. You have to do some work. It’s not a system where you just put in money and wait for it to multiply.
However, many members have given positive feedback, saying the platform has helped them earn side income, rest from financial stress and save part of their salaries.
She highlighted that F-mobile members have access to personal dashboards where they can view their e-wallet balances and transaction histories.
“You can see everything, your balance and all transactions, nothing is hidden. It’s not like other schemes where money just disappears,” she said.
Meanwhile, public debate around F-mobile continues, with authorities and financial experts urging Solomon Islanders to remain cautious and fully understand how online platforms operate before committing funds.
By GEHAZI SEKO
Solomon Star Stringer
Honiara
