NIGERIAN CYBERCRIME-WHO IS THE NIGERIAN PRINCE?

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yahoo boy.png

Were you active on the internet 10 years ago or some of the years before that? There is a chance that someone might have explained to you through an email that he was a Nigerian prince whose father just passed away and his evil uncle plans on taking the family's wealth. He probably continued by saying that he needs your help to make his claims to his father’s wealth.

This is a touching story no doubt but the truth behind the story is the issue. There is a big chance that there was no dead father, no evil uncle, it was just someone in a room running operations on stealing your money.
In this post, we will be going deeper into the topic of cybercrime in Nigeria and getting to know more about the operations and what is actually involved.

In the conclusion section, I will be adding some helpful suggestions that Hive as a body can give to Nigeria as a country. So that the light can be put on the issue to fight it and make it a thing of the past.

HOW DO THEY OPERATE?

The Yahoo Boy
The Yahoo boy is what Nigerians call the cybercriminals who are actively involved in the operations of cybercrime. The yahoo boy does not live alone, he runs his operation with people around him in order for it to work. There are those who answer international calls, the person who works the bank accounts, and those involved in more technical parts of the job…like actual hackers. The university environment where the yahoo boy comes from has so many people to fit this role. They usually have offices that make fake documents and stamps and handle their phone connections. They change their VPNs, make fake social media accounts, and spoof websites.

THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY

I was talking to my brother @belemo about how in Nigeria we have to provide almost everything for ourselves. We generate power with small generators, we get our water ourselves with water pumps, we provide our security by locking our doors and keeping cutlasses close. In the house of a Yahoo boy, there is usually a generator burning fuel and creating a noise hazard to him and those around him.

FINDING A NICHE

Some young Nigerians are convinced that the best job for them is a life of crime in Cybercriminal activities. There are so many young graduates that are unemployed and there is hardly a chance for them to be employed. Whit that level of desperation it does not take much to be convinced to participate in these activities. They invest in figuring out a niche best suited for them, how to throw baits and which platforms are best. Knowing how to fake it so it seems like they are busy when in truth they know when to check back.

WHEN THE OPERATIONS END
When a victim transfers money to the yahoo boy, they do not stop until they know that you do not have any money. The Yahoo boy and his team of workers will ensure that their “client” as they call them, borrows money from friends and family to invest in whatever fake business they have lied about or help them with whatever fake situation they said they were in.

CONCLUSION

People need to pay more attention to the security of their gadgets by installing anti-virus software. All pop-ups that request for personal information should be dismissed. Always make your passwords strong and ignore emails from Nigerian princes or any call or email or text requesting bank details that are personal should be ignored.

With the cryptocurrency age building spaces on the internet, cybercrime in Nigeria will continue to rise and more needs to be done to reach out and take all that energy into something more useful. Enlightenment of the available jobs online for Nigerian youth is important. It is important that Hive reaches out to secondary schools in Nigeria and universities to explain how joining Hive can be beneficial to the country. To the elderly population who are victims of cybercrime, more needs to be done to show them that the crypto space is not just for the young, they too can be actively involved.

Hope you enjoyed learning about cybercrime in Nigeria. This is just an expository essay. I hope to be able to help in whatever way I can with the course. It would be nice to change the narrative of the Nigerian youth.

REFERENCES

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9 comments
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I certainly remember the Nigerian prince scheme. I'm not sure if I ever received an email, but I definitely remember people talking about it.

I think blockchain projects such as HIVE really need to be introduced to people who have little more opportunity than internet access. I have tried to explain this to people many times but the skepticism around cryptocurrency is still far too high. No matter what I show people, try to convince them; people simply just seem nervous about it. They seem more open to actually getting scammed than to joining something that they believe is a scam because, unfortunately, people not involved in crypto love to spread stories about how risky it is and how much they've lost. People don't seem to believe or be open to the fact that you can become involved without investment

Great piece! I forgot entirely about the prince scheme. All the best to you and yours

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i think some persons are just too lazy to get educated. hive is just like another school which one gets to enjoy with consistency

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That's a very good point, and very accurate. As soon as I begin to explain to my family and friends how they can monetize their content, I quickly notice they are no longer paying attention the moment they figure out that it takes a little bit of effort. :(

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It's very disappointing but we'll keep up with the vision. My interactions on hive has built me more than i could ever image

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If you mention the Nigerian Prince then literally everyone will know that you're talking about some sort of cybercrime.

It's unfortunate that the reputation of Nigeria worldwide is so heavily tied to this particular scam. A perception that is going to be hard to change.

Sad because from my experience working with Nigerian freelancers, they're some of the most honest and hardworking people you can find anywhere in the world.

Thanks for sharing.

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Thank you!!!

Thank you for stopping by.

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Great post I remember that the origin of cyber crime started by what is popularly referred to as 4.1.9 guys. Over time , Nigerians had an international reputation of been very dubious . Am glad the impression is changing a little.

People involved in cyber crimes are referred to as yahoo boys, G-boys. Most times , these boys use fetish powers to convinces their 'clients'.
However with the advent of the blockchain and other online businesses and service rendering platforms , more nigerian youth are into more legit and productive businesses.

Poverty in Nigeria is a big issue and if Hive could start up a project to empower Nigerian youths, it'll really be appreciated.

thanks for sharing @ebingo. I enjoyed every bit of your post

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Great post I remember that the origin of cyber crime started by what is popularly referred to as 4.1.9 guys. Over time , Nigerians had an international reputation of been very dubious . Am glad the impression is changing a little.

People involved in cyber crimes are referred to as yahoo boys, G-boys. Most times , these boys use fetish powers to convinces their 'clients'.
However with the advent of the blockchain and other online businesses and service rendering platforms , more nigerian youth are into more legit and productive businesses.

Poverty in Nigeria is a big issue and if Hive could start up a project to empower Nigerian youths, it'll really be appreciated.

thanks for sharing @ebingo. I enjoyed every bit of your post

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Thank you for going through the post. I am glad you enjoyed it

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