The Most Common Nigerian Online Dating Scams
When people talk about online fraud, the word “Nigeria” is almost never far behind. It is, after all, the birthplace for much of the fraud plaguing online dating sites around the world. The reality though is that Internet scams are a complex problem, and today can come from various countries within Africa, Asia and Europe. While most dating websites have taken aggressive steps against these fraudsters, your best defense remains knowledge, early detection and prevention.
Here is a guide to some of the most common “Nigerian” online dating scams.
The Nigerian Letter (or the “419 fraud”)
The most famous Nigerian scam was also one of the first used on the American public.
Essentially, the scam involves someone asking you to help wealthy associates move money with your bank account. They will promise you a large share of the overall sum moved, and then persuade you into sending money to cover the additional costs needed to bribe officials and avoid delays. Of course, no matter how much money you’ve invested in the “deal”, the promised transfer never happens (and the money or wealthy person doesn’t actually exist). These scams are often very intricately planned, and put into action through a network of people, which can make them very difficult to properly track. Please be extremely wary of communicating with anyone who proposes such a deal.
Money for the beloved (but sick) relative
One of the simplest but most effective online scams revolves around the goodwill of singles. Once the scammer has established a good level of trust with you (this may take days, weeks or even a matter of minutes), they will begin to describe a medical emergency affecting someone in their family. Though the family member described may differ, this scenario always revolves around the need for financial help. No matter what they tell you, or how genuine and sincere they seem, do not get suckered into sending money for someone’s supposed medical care.
Stuck in a foreign (but always African) land
By far one of the most famous African-based scams involves making victims believe the scammer is an American trapped in a foreign land. Often pretending to be a white male or female, the fraudster will usually claim to be some sort of specialist, technician, or model working in Africa. The fraudster will ask you to help them get “home” by paying for visas, planes, trains, boats or any other means of transportation and accommodation. They will most often make it seem as if they are in very dire straights. Remember though, no matter how desperate they seem, someone in a truly serious, life-threatening situation would not be chatting on a dating site.
The Sweetheart Scam and Money Orders
A variant of the fraud detailed above is officially known as the Sweetheart Scam. It too involves a person stuck in Africa, but the “single” this time is a worker having trouble cashing money orders. The Sweetheart Scammer will ask you to deposit these money orders into your bank account and then wire him or her the money. He (or she) may even tell you to keep some money for yourself, to pay for the trouble. Before they get to this point though, they will have spent a lot of time trying to woo and seduce you (including sending cheap gifts like flowers and chocolate). The money orders, you should know, are never worth anything. Once your money is wired, you will likely never hear from your “sweetheart” again.
Shipping help
Because U.S. merchants are now wary of shipping anything to Nigeria, scammers are often looking for middlemen to move goods purchased with stolen credit cards or through hacked EBay accounts. Do not, under any circumstances, agree to send packages to Africa for someone you meet on an online dating site. Aside from getting stuck with postage fees you will never be compensated for, you are also participating in a crime.
Though it may seem scary to think there are people trying to defraud online daters, it should be noted that scammers make up only a small amount of the millions of singles looking for love online. Keeping some of these common scamming methods in mind will help you avoid getting stuck in a difficult situation. Always proceed with caution, and make sure to never send money to anyone.
Mitch Conway is the author of The Go-Getter’s Guide To Finding Your Soulmate, the first dating guide designed to help singles save time and become more proactive at meeting people. To find out more, visit www.gogettersguides.com.
About the Author
Mitch Conway is the author of The Go-Getter’s Guide to Finding Your Soulmate, the first installment in the Go-Getter’s Guides series. Mr. Conway describes himself as having been an “average single guy” who decided to take a pragmatic and structured approach to finding his soulmate. His techniques and advice were put together over a period of three years into what is now The Go-Getter’s Guide to Finding Your Soulmate.
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