A Canadian traveler was recently scammed out of several hundred US dollars by a Kilimanjaro Tour Operator based in Arusha. When the incident was reported to the Tanzanian police, the police acknowledged that this company (or at least this particular manager) had a history of extorting cash from hikers and then disappearing. This is apparently a recurring scenario.

The MCK advises hikers to seek out companies with well-established track records that have been recommended recently by other hikers.