Online Scam Targets Hundreds of Afghans

A number of Afghans claim they invested in a website called “Metamax” which has been inaccessible for the past week. On this site, users could earn daily profits by watching promotional videos, generating online traffic, purchasing packages, and inviting friends. These tempting promises led many people, including hundreds of women who invested due to unemployment and lack of work permissions, to put their money in. Now with the site shut down, there seems to be no way to retrieve their funds.

According to some users, Metamax packages ranged from $90 to $1,200, and each user could watch ad videos and receive daily percentage returns after purchasing a package. Previously, hundreds of Afghans similarly lost money by investing in an online company called E Nuri. During the republic era, there were also reports of pyramid scheme fraud by companies in Kabul operating under the guise of network marketing.

Despite the sudden closure of Metamax and the uncertain fate of Afghan users’ investments, some are still promoting similar websites on social media and encouraging others to invest in them.