{"id":16388,"date":"2018-06-15T13:18:31","date_gmt":"2018-06-15T21:18:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=16388"},"modified":"2022-04-13T12:27:09","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T20:27:09","slug":"new-nigerian-email-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/new-nigerian-email-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Protect Yourself from the Infamous Nigerian Email Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nigeria is home to a wide variety of <\/span>online<\/span> fraud variants including Fifo\u2019s fraud, <\/span>black <\/span>money<\/span> scam<\/span><\/a>, Detroit-Buffalo scam, <\/span>Spanish Prisoner scam<\/span><\/a>, and  <\/span>Nigerian scam emails<\/span>. A <\/span>Nigerian email scam <\/span>generally involves a victim taking a leap of faith and transferring money online in anticipation of receiving a valuable good or service like a gift, a loan, or as an investment. In most cases, the victim doesn\u2019t receive anything. These email scams are also known as \u2018419 Scams\u2019 according to section 419 of Nigeria\u2019s Penal Code. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nigeria has a track record of being home to email scammers since the 1990s. You can view some examples of real <\/span>Nigerian scam emails<\/span><\/a> at Hoax-Slayer. The FBI has noted that these scams are costing American citizens <\/span>billions of dollars<\/span><\/a> each year.<\/span><\/p>\n

How <\/b>Nigerian Scam Emails<\/b> Work<\/b><\/h2>\n

There’s one common fiction created by <\/span>Nigerian scammers to take advantage of the unsuspecting<\/span>. They send their target an email that tells the victim that they (the scammer) are in communication with a Nigerian prince. For the scammer to lure the victim, an intricate, tragic story is crafted to inform the victim that they have been chosen to inherit a certain amount of wealth from the \u201c<\/span>prince<\/span>.\u201d The victim is asked to send a few thousand dollars to the prince before receiving the money as a gesture of goodwill before the full sum is distributed. Once the scammer receives the money from the victim, the \u201cprince\u201d disappears without a trace.<\/span><\/p>\n

New Techniques for Online Scams<\/b><\/h2>\n

Email is not the only medium used by Nigerian scammers. They also contact their victims via text messages, letters, and fake online dating profiles.<\/span> Here are some of the different techniques they use:<\/span><\/p>\n

Fake Dating Profiles<\/b><\/h3>\n

The objective of the scammer is to open a phony dating account and create a love connection with someone who can send money. The good thing about this plan is that most scammers do not know how to engage in dating <\/span>site<\/span>s. It is easy to <\/span>spot a fake dating profile<\/span><\/a> if you are careful enough. <\/span><\/p>\n

The American Soldier Variant<\/b><\/h3>\n

Scammers are smart people. They pose as an American soldier from Iraq who needs to use your account to keep a large sum of money they have found while serving abroad. They\u2019ll ask you to show a sign of commitment by sending them some money. After you\u2019ve demonstrated your trustworthiness the \u2018soldier\u2019 disappears.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phishing<\/b><\/h3>\n

Although the Nigerian prince narrative works with some people, other scammers are more advanced. Some use <\/span>phishing<\/span><\/a> techniques like an official-looking <\/span>email<\/span> from your bank or Paypal. One of these Nigerian scammer emails might state that your Paypal account is limited and you need to log in to your account using a specified link. Once you click the link included and provide your account access details (username and password), that\u2019s it. Instead of logging into your Paypal account, a virus will infect your computer. The scammer will now have access to all your computer passwords through the computer-virus. Your identity will now be at the mercy of the scammers, and your credit cards maxed out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Same Technique, New Name<\/b><\/h2>\n

The basic structure of a scam is the same through the different variations of scams; you share your account details or send money, in exchange for a fake gift. <\/span><\/p>\n

What Happens if You Fall into a Scammers Trap?<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you become a victim of online fraud, contact your bank and the local law enforcement unit immediately. You can also file a complaint with the FTC when you receive a strange email (they handle millions of email scam reports every year).<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Avoid Falling Victim to Scammers<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you become suspicious of someone you’ve come across online, <\/span>run a background check on their email address<\/span><\/a>. Spokeo has a tool you can use to uncover potential<\/span> scammer email addresses for what they really are<\/span>. This reverse email search can help you to lookup <\/span>Nigerian scammer email addresses<\/span> and other scammers by their email address. You may be able to see the pictures and social media profiles attached to the email address. The search tool is confidential, instant, and may be able to give you the peace of mind you seek.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t recognize the sender, the safest course of action is to stop communicating with them and just block their email address. It\u2019s important to never share your email address with someone online. Avoid sharing essential details through email because it is highly unlikely for a registered institution like a bank to request the details through mail.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to the general scamming that occurs online; it is best to always be on the safe side by ensuring your account details are stored far from your computer. Exercising caution is crucial.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nigeria is home to a wide variety of online fraud variants including Fifo\u2019s fraud, black money scam, Detroit-Buffalo scam, Spanish Prisoner scam, and  Nigerian scam emails. A Nigerian email scam…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":21886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[612,614],"tags":[468,444],"class_list":["post-16388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-safety","tag-nigerian-email-scams","tag-online-scams"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Protect Yourself from the Infamous Nigerian Email Scams | The Compass<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The infamous Nigerian scam emails are still on of the most common types of online fraud. 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