Lessons Learned: Protecting Our Community So We Can Earn More —Safely and legally
Why TUKOLE is launching the EARN MORE education series
This piece is not about blame. It is about protection, maturity, and collective progress.
Over the past few years, our community—here and across the diaspora—has experienced painful financial losses. Some were loud. Many were quiet. Most were never fully discussed. People moved on, embarrassed, discouraged, or simply tired of reliving it.
That is why we are introducing EARN MORE—not as a hustle series, not as investment promotion, but as financial education designed to protect our people while helping them grow.
SCOOTER SCAMS MADE AWAY WITH OVER $20M IN 2023 & 2024
Last year’s LSSC scooter scam duped buyers with counterfeit electric scooters, false warranties, and stalled refunds, leaving hundreds financially harmed and prompting consumer protection investigations.
What Actually Went Wrong \\
The issue was never that people were careless or greedy.
The issue was structural:
Many offers blurred the line between income and investment
Returns were described without clearly explaining where money came from
Authority and familiarity replaced verification and documentation
Urgency pressured people to act before asking hard questions
Community trust was used as a shortcut around due diligence
None of these are personal failures.
They are education gaps—and education gaps are fixable.
The Real Cost Wasn’t Just Money
Money can be recovered over time.
Trust is harder.
What hurt most was:
Friends no longer recommending opportunities to one another
Leaders afraid to share ideas for fear of being blamed
Younger members becoming cynical about any economic initiative
Legitimate projects struggling because people were burned before
When trust breaks, everyone pays—especially the next generation.
What We’ve Learned as a Community
These lessons now guide everything we are building:
If returns are guaranteed, risk is being hidden—not removed
If you don’t understand how money is made, you are the product
Titles, faith, or familiarity are not substitutes for structure
Real income grows slower than scams—and that’s a good thing
Community loyalty should increase scrutiny, not reduce it
These are not accusations.
They are protective principles.
Why Education Is the Only Real Defense
Warnings expire.
Education compounds.
You can shut down one scheme, but another will appear—using new language, new technology, and new faces. The only lasting solution is to teach people how to evaluate money decisions for themselves.
That is the purpose of EARN MORE.
silence is expensive
A strong community doesn’t pretend mistakes didn’t happen. Let us learn from them without shaming anyone.
If you have been affected by scams, please tell your story and warn the next person not to fall for it.
What the EARN MORE Series Will Do (and Won’t Do)
What it will do
Teach the difference between income, investment, and speculation
Break down how real businesses actually make money
Show common red flags—without naming or shaming
Equip members to ask better questions before sending money
Promote safe, boring, documented paths to earning and growing income
What it will not do
Promote specific investments
Promise returns
Endorse opportunities
Pressure anyone to act quickly
This is education, not promotion.
A Shared Responsibility Going Forward
EARN MORE is not about creating fear.
It’s about restoring confidence—in ourselves and in one another.
When our community understands money better:
Scams lose oxygen
Legitimate businesses grow faster
Partnerships improve
Younger members learn from wisdom, not wounds
This is how we move from survival to stability—and from stability to growth.
An Invitation to Members
As a TUKOLE member, you are not just a reader.
You are a steward of community progress.
Read. Question. Share. Discuss. Not to judge the past—but to protect the future.
EARN MORE exists so that the next opportunity our community encounters is met with clarity, confidence, and collective intelligence. That is how we earn—together—and safely.
