Nigerians Speak Out: Are Victims of Online Scam Greedy?

The recent indictment of 77 Nigerians by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation has raised questions about the morals of victims of online scams.

A number of Nigerian youths argued that some people fall for numerous online frauds because of their greed.

SaharReporters spoke with some young Nigerians.

Yussuf Anka, a student of Ahmadu Bello University, said the many foreigners, particularly the whites, are victims because they are corrupt and looking to cut corners too.

"All the time we only hear the arrest of Nigerians no one tells us about the deals. Some times they are defrauded in their efforts to by-pass laws of securing properties in Africa. The other time we heard about a fraudulent sale of an airport. Probably the victim was avoiding the proper process, tax, engaging companies and lawyers and all that. They want to easily secure things since they think we are corrupt. Some times the yahoo fraudsters disguise as government officials promising them corrupt cheap deals and contracts," he said.

A student of Lagos State Polytechnic, Dotun Olawoye, also blamed the misfortune and the greedy tendencies of victims who are looking to secure 'palaces in Africa'.

He said: "So we've heard stories of white folks trying to buy 'palaces' and 'African king' crowns believed to be very powerful and are worth billions of dollars.

"And the fraudsters package these things for them, tell them the actually worth, then give them out for a far lower (most times ridiculous) price but the white folks who want to own these 'powerful crowns' and big kingdom in Africa jump at it believing the scammer doesn't know the worth "Even though there's no 'crown' or 'kingdom' anywhere for sale on Amazon or Jumia!

"This is just one example, there are different stories because some if not most of these people actually believe they are the smart ones until they realize they are the victim."

However, he added that the actions of the fraudsters were not justifiable.

"Because there are real victims, innocent people out there suffering from these acts and it's sad Nigerian youths now see this as an alternative," he explained.

Qudus Balogun, a chartered accountant, believed that only a greedy person would fall for the tricks of fraudsters.

"Only the greedy ones fall for scams, they want to make quick money.

The whites are not fools, they only want to invest in miracles, that's why they get swindled. Investing in miracles is nothing but greed "He wants to make quick money because it's quick and returns on it seem huge as well. He refuses to carry out all due diligence, he refuses to consult because he wants to make the money secretly, he refuses to do so many things because he wants to own the money all himself.

"The white man that falls victim of a scam at this age, in my opinion, is a greedy person and if not greedy, then, he is a thief too," said the accountant.

Others who spoke with SaharaReporters said fraud victims were naive and gullible.

According to Tella Temitope, who described himself as a business coach, describing all the victims as greedy would be unfair.

He said: "Depends on the type of scam they fall for. Sometimes it's not greed. It's a quest for a better life. You show me an opportunity, sounds cool, I agree and I fall for the scam.

"Another could be marriage or dating. I need a better half, you 'convinced' - lied to - me, in my believing you were real. I sent you money but you ran away. With the above, I just feel the Whites were just naive and human."

Zainab Yussuf, a media enthusiast, said the fraudsters preyed on weaknesses and insecurity of their victims, particularly in relation to a romance scam.

She said: "Well, I have noticed that even those that fall victim and are married are usually people who are lonely and depressed. They crave for sweet words and attention that the fraudsters seem to give them. Often times, victims are fat and ugly and pretty much seem like easy targets. Weight and beauty are the two major factors of low self-esteem and depression."

Davies Ikpoyi, a media practitioner, corroborated Yussuf.

He stated that fraudsters preyed on victims' weaknesses and that their targets should not be blamed.

According to him, the romance scam is plain wickedness and criminal.
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