by Hla Min
Updated : May 2025
It is used by dishonest people to cheat unwary folks.
Nigerian Scam
- It is one of the oldest scams.
- Typically, one gets an e-mail supposedly from a friend asking for help (e.g. need money desperately to buy a return ticket home) and to follow instructions (e.g. transfer money) to get him out of the trouble. There is a promise to repay the debt.
- Some get emotional & forget logic and the importance of verifying (double checking). They rush off to write a check.
Why Scam?
- It does not need much effort to scam.
- Even if a tiny fraction of the recipients fall into a scam, the scammers get rich.
- Even if they are caught (possibly after a long time), the resources needed to get back the money (extradition, law suit) are too much and not cost-effective.
Variations
- Someone claiming that he / she had inherited millions of dollars
- A company claiming that you had won a big prize
- Some scenario suggesting “It’s too good to be true”.
Scammers
- Some are sloppy copy cats (with typos and errors in the message). If you are careful, you can easily confirm their scams.
- Some simply change the settings (Edinburgh, Scotland instead of Nigeria). It’s not difficult to confirm such scams.
- Some may use malware to take over computers and send scams from the hacked account.
Right actions to beat scams
- Call your friend and his/her family to verify
- Use nick names or sensitive information to check if the sender is a hacker
- Warn friends and families about the attack
HlaMin 