- Many Nigerians fall victim to scammers on a daily basis
- Here are some types of scams you need to pay attention to so as not to fall prey
- Messages containing phishing links and impersonation are some of the strategies that the scammers use
Scam in Nigeria has become a prevalent issue that affects many Nigerians daily. These frauds are often carried out through simple but cunning methods. They often range from small-scale financial fraud to petty online fraud.
Unlike international fraudsters who target foreign, dollar-earning victims, local scammers typically target unsuspecting individuals in the country. These scammers may often target the older generation, who are not as tech-savvy as the younger generation, and unsuspecting youths who will fail for click baits of money or pleasure.
5 common scams you should know
Here are some scams you should know about:
- Multimedia message from unknown sender
You have probably received a multimedia message from an unknown sender before asking you to download some files on your phone. It has been discovered that once you download such files on your phone, you have given the scammer access to your phone and all the information stored on it.
- Impersonation of family members
Some scammers hack the social media accounts of family members and use these accounts to ask for help, claiming to be stranded. You may be falling into the trap of a scammer if you send them money or personal information. It’s best to confirm such claims for your family members before sending money or sharing information with scammers.
- One-time passwords (OTP)
Another common scam tactic is the use of one-time passwords (OTP). The scammer calls the victim, claiming to be from the victim’s bank and asking for sensitive information, sometimes for an account upgrade. They sometimes ask for a one-time password that will be sent to your phone because they initiated a transaction on your account. If you give them such sensitive information, you would be putting yourself at risk of being scammed. Banks would not ask for sensitive information over the phone, so do not give it out to anyone.
- POS Scam
Another scam which has been discovered is that of the point of sale (POS) scam. Scammers approach POS vendors and tell them they want to withdraw a common amount that is common for people to withdraw and when their card is slotted into the machine, the vendor types in the amount and passes it to the scammer to input their pin and then the scammer cancels the transaction and pulls up a previous transaction with the same amount as he/she requested, prints the receipt and hands the machine back to the vendor who doesn’t check the details of the transaction and just hands them the money. POS vendors should check and verify every transaction on their machines before handing out money to customers.
- Customer Support Scam
Another common scam is done on social media. This is when a bank customer has an issue with a transaction and comes on social media to complain to the bank. Some scammers take advantage of this by opening an account in the name of the bank of the customer and responding to the customer as the bank. They usually ask the customer to chat on WhatsApp. When the customer chats them up, they are given a link to fill in their complaints and sensitive information is requested. Whenever you have issues with a transaction, it is best to contact the bank directly via email or customer support via the bank’s app. If you must contact them on social media, make sure you’re communicating with the verified account of the bank.