Some Nigerian scammers are only interested in defrauding others using electronic means, such as emails, Ponzi or pyramid scams, bogus cashier checks, etc. Some people participate in a con known as an online romance scam, in which they appear to be reliable friends and online lovers. No matter how many times a victim contacts a scammer till the sun comes up or tells them all of their secrets, the purpose of a Nigerian scammer is always to leave you broke and alone. This is true regardless of how much information the victim shares with the scammer.
Regardless of the particulars of each scammer, the fact is that those posing as Nigerian scammers are made up of individuals who make up stories about made-up events. They are skilled storytellers who spin a tale in the hopes that you will buy into the conclusion and believe it. When they are attempting to con you out of money, they will write what seems to be real and personal communications to you. They will make it seem as if they are falling in love with you and sending you letters to draw you in. This is one tactic used in romance scams.
This deception has the potential to be persuasive since their words often compete with those of a Hollywood love tale. They have crafted a persona that is both idealistic and approachable, which explains why so many people fall for them in such a short amount of time. They are composites of the ideal guy and woman, someone who has all of the qualities that you want in a partner, such as kindness, compassion, financial stability, a decent education, charm, humor, and the most important thing of all.
They are desperate to talk to you, go out with you, and spend the rest of their lives with you. It’s a whirlwind that makes you consider a long-term future with someone you’ve never really met in person, and it’s all because of the internet. For you, connection, compassion, and everlasting love are at the heart of “why.” Sadly, the only thing that drives them is the desire to make money.
After they have successfully fooled you, their need for your money may be obvious; the question is, how did they pull it off? How is it that Nigerian romance scammers are so good at fooling individuals who are knowledgeable, experienced, and cautious most of the time? The truth is that these Nigerian romance scammers have a lot of experience, and you are not the first one they have taken advantage of. While they are defrauding you, they are also defrauding or trying to defraud a large number of other people at the same time.
Are you currently conversing with a Nigerian scammer?
Do you have any reason to believe that you are dealing with a romance scammer from Nigeria? This is an amazing list compiled and expanded upon it. There are some warning signs on this list, but not all of them are as alarming as others, and not all of them necessarily indicate a scam; however, if the individual generally fits the pattern, it is highly likely that it is a scam!
Signs of a Nigerian scammer
It’s possible that they’re a Nigerian scammer if…
– The photo they use for their profile seems to have been taken by a professional and can be seen on a modeling website.
– These high-ranking US military personnel are in their middle years.
– Their height and weight are not proportionate to one another, for example, 6 feet tall and 95 pounds
– They assert that they are a different age than what is shown in the picture.
– They say they have light brown hair and blue eyes, yet their image shows that they have dark hair and brown eyes or vice versa.
– Despite the fact that they are portraying themselves as unmarried in the shot, they are wearing wedding rings.
– They say they are Native Americans or members of another ethnic group, yet the picture clearly shows that they are Caucasian.
– The age range that they have stated seems to have no upper limit, for example, 25 to 80, however the majority of the time, they are looking for middle-aged women.
– Their user names are strange and include the words “4real” or “4luv.”
– They boast that they have a “reverence for God” and actively seek out the term.
– They constantly assert that they are trustworthy and compassionate, and the terms “honest” and “care” are often included in their user name.
– Even their first names are peculiar, being things like Martins, Williams, Kevins, Waynes, and so on.. (instead of Martin, William, Kevin, Wayne)
– Several typographical errors exist among the female names, such as Jenifer for Jennifer, Ashly for Ashley, and Marry for Mary.
– The majority of the time, their surnames are Cole, Moore, Smith, or Williams.
– They boast that they are “XX by name” as well as “XX by age.”
– Instead of saying “I am,” they use the word “am,” as in, “I am Williams by name…”
– They end the message with the phrase “hope to read from you soon.”
– They claim to be from Keller in the state of Virginia. Why? Due to the fact that it has the same postal code as Nigeria: 23401
– “Building contractor” or “civil engineer” is a common job title for males in this group, but “model” or “nurse” is more common for women.
– Their first letter would often include the phrase, “Remember the distance or color does not matter but love means allot in life,” since it is a common theme in their correspondence. (a common tactic used by con artists from Senegal)
– They want to leave the website as soon as possible and sign up for instant messaging.
– You shouldn’t expect to be able to instant message them on the weekends.
– They send instant messages at odd hours compared to your time zone.
– It seems that their profile gets removed from the internet the moment the dialogue is initiated.
– The quality of their spelling is appalling.
– They are infamous for utilizing the letter “i” instead of the letter “I” in their writing.
– They always communicate using internet lingo or abbreviations: u, r, ur, coz, pls/plz, ma, sry, brb, div, acc.
– Their grammatical structure does not correspond to the way people in the United States, France, etc….
Nigerian romance scammers often use sentences in the wrong context, such as:
- i will like to heer from u soonest
- I am kool
- Do you have anyman u care to meet
- Do you have any man you planning to meet
- Looking for someone to love and care for in life
- Am cheerfull in life
- I will like to meet someone that is careing and loveing for real in life
- i am too young for my age if u don’t know
- Ok so how will u feel if i says i dont mind u
- i will like u to be my best friend
- u r so pretty for my likeness
More signs you are dealing with a Nigerian romance scammers
– Their ability to talk and write gives the impression that they are not well educated.
– They do not comprehend vernacular or analogies, such as night owl and early bird, poker face, and the like.
– They will instantly begin calling you by one of their pet names: hon/hun baby/babe sweety/sweetie
– They make excessive use of emoticons.
– Buzz is their trademark method of communication.
– They dislike being asked personal questions about themselves and are prone to ignoring other people’s inquiries.
– The information they provide you with over instant messaging may often change from what was indicated on their profiles; some of the more typical questions to which they will respond differently include those pertaining to their birthday, height/weight ratio, and age.
– If you catch them being inconsistent, they will claim that a friend or relative must have been using their id to chat with you, they will always try to come up with a coverup, and of course, you are always wrong or mistaken.
– They often misspell the names of the cities or towns they claim to be from and have no idea where any of the local monuments or attractions are located.
– They do not know the answers to basic questions, which every citizen should know of the United States.
– If you ask them a question they do not know the answer to, they will generally go offline for a period of time so that they may search up the solution on the internet, always claiming that they received a phone call or needed to use the restroom, etc.
– There are also situations in which they disappear from the discussion for a period of time and then return, sometimes addressing you by a different name; this is because they are often having a conversation with more than one person at the same time.
– Despite the fact that they often request your presence on your camera, it seems that they do not possess a webcam of their own.
– They like writing you love letters or poems, the majority of which can be tracked back to the website lovingyou.com; however, there are occasions when they neglect to alter the name that is written in the letter or poem to match your name.
– They believe it was predetermined by fate or destiny, and that the two of you are destined to be together.
– They want your address quickly so that they may send you gifts, such as flowers, sweets, and teddy bears, which are often bought using stolen credit cards.
– They declare their love for you either right away or within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
– They ask for your phone number, but when they call you, you can hardly make out a word that they are saying.
– They may provide you with a phone number, but it will almost always be for a calling card or a call center, and you will have very little success reaching them through phone.
– They are hopelessly in love with you and cannot imagine their lives without you, but in order for them to see you, they need you to pay them some money.
– In most cases, they will pretend to be from the United States (or your local area), but in reality, they are already living in another country, or are planning to move to another country—typically Nigeria, but also sometimes the United Kingdom—for reasons related to business or family.
– They are often unaware of the true difference in time between where you are and where they claim to be.
– They often make the claim that at least one of their parents is of African heritage.
– The vast majority of them allege that they have suffered the tragic loss of a spouse, child, or parent as a result of a terrible car crash or aircraft crash, or that any of the aforementioned individuals are ill or hospitalized.
– Because they do not have any close relatives, friends, or business associates to turn to, not even the embassy in the United States, they have no choice but to rely on a random person they found on the internet.
– It is common for them to request that you provide them with computers and mobile phones.
– They would want to send packages or letters to you and have you forward them to them, sometimes to an address in Africa, and sometimes to an address in the United States.
– To them, love is synonymous with providing monetary aid; if you do not give them money or support them in some other way when they ask for it, you do not love them.
– They will want you to create a bank account for them in your name, and most of the time, it will be with Wells Fargo.
– They will inquire about the details of your financial institution accounts.
– They will write you a check or mail you a money order and ask you to cash it for them and then transfer the money to them over Western Union.
– They regularly use the website Qchex.com to issue phony checks.
– They often state that they are patients at a medical facility and that the attending physician would not perform the required procedure until they get the requested amount of money.
– Even if they are staying in the hospital, they will still be able to instant message with you since the doctor has a laptop and is kind enough to allow them use it.
– They say that they have been robbed and that they do not have any money, and that they are being kept hostage at the hotel and that they are not permitted to leave until the bill is paid, and frequently they will let you speak to the “hotel manager,” who will verify the tale.
– They also claim that they have “lost” the money belonging to the company in some way and that they are unable to pay his employees: there is always some desperate story as to why you need to send money.
– If you contradict or question them, they become hostile and threatening verbally, and they will resort to physical violence.
First and foremost, if you label them a romance scammer, they will take the insult very personally, and some of them may even start yelling at you in their own language.
