SCARS™ Scam Basics: A Taxonomy

There Are A Lot Of Different Words Or Terms Used To Describe Different Kinds Of People Involved In Romance Scams!

WARNING: SOME OF THESE TERMS USED BY NIGERIAN AND OTHER SCAMMERS ARE OFFENSIVE – DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Here Is A Guide To The Meaning Of Many Of Those Terms (A Taxonomy)

TERMS FOR THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN SCAMS:

• ACCESSORY (SUPPORTER): someone in the victim’s own country working with the scammer – may collect money but is not a mule
• AJE BUTTER [SCAMMER SLANG]: rich spoiled person – rich victim or rich scammer
• AKATA [SCAMMER SLANG]: white man – also called COLONIZER
• AMEBO [SCAMMER SLANG]: backbiter/rumor-monger
• ANTI-SCAM GROUP: a group of people involved in helping to expose scammer or educate the public – usually amateurs /nonprofessional – most do more harm to victims
• ANTI-SCAM HATE GROUP: an amateur group pretending to be experts in scams and scamming that focuses on hate for scammers
• ARISTO [SCAMMER SLANG]: Yahoo Boys that like young girls (underage or teens)
• BADDO [SCAMMER SLANG]: is another word for ‘Bad Guy’ used to describe how good a scammer is at a particular thing – ironically, is also a major dating website
• CATCHER [SCAMMER SLANG]: a scammer who makes the first contact with a victim and then start to pass them onto another scammer who finishes the job/closes
• CHOP COCKROACH [SCAMMER SLANG]: pregnant Yahoo girl – used in rituals
• CHURCH MEMBER [SCAMMER SLANG]: This is a word commonly used by FRAT BOYS/CULTISTS/RITUALISTS
• CLIENT [SCAMMER SLANG]: a victim being groomed by a scammer
• COACH [SCAMMER SLANG]: a scammer trainer
• COLONIZER [SCAMMER SLANG]: white man
• CULTISTS: involved in Yahoo Yahoo rituals
• FLASH BOY [SCAMMER SLANG]: a successful scammer that shows their wealth
• FRAT BOYS [SCAMMER SLANG]: involved in Yahoo Yahoo rituals
• FRAUD BOY [SCAMMER SLANG]: can mean a Yahoo Boy, GBoy, or Sakawa Boy – but is used more for non-internet actors
• FRAUDSTER: the cybercriminals themselves
• G BOY [SCAMMER SLANG]: equivalent and slightly more modern that ‘Yahoo Yahoo boys’
• GBEBORUN [SCAMMER SLANG]: backbiter/rumor-monger also called
• GUY [SCAMMER SLANG]: scammer engaged in advance fee fraud
• GUYMAN [SCAMMER SLANG]: scammer engaged in advance fee fraud
• JEW [SCAMMER SLANG]: non-cultist/non-ritualist
• JONES [SCAMMER SLANG]: means someone or a group are not being smart – also means the speaker is talking about someone not seizing the opportunity where he or she ought to (as in a scam)
• KELE [SCAMMER SLANG]: young woman
• LIMPET: a scammer that attaches to a victim’s family and friends but remains quiet
• MAGA [SCAMMER SLANG]: fool / victim
• MAHEE [SCAMMER SLANG]: victim of advance fee fraud / scam
• MAHI [SCAMMER SLANG]: victim of advance fee fraud / scam
• MAYE [SCAMMER SLANG]: fool / victim
• MAYEE [SCAMMER SLANG]: victim of advance fee fraud / scam
• MAYI [SCAMMER SLANG]: victim of advance fee fraud / scam
• MOMSY [SCAMMER SLANG]: an informal word for mother or elderly woman (can be victim or not)
• MOLE: a victim who is helping a scammer – may or may not be aware they are part of the scam
• MUGU [SCAMMER SLANG]: fool / victim
• MUGUN [SCAMMER SLANG]: victim of advance fee fraud / scam
• MULE: a victim that receives stolen property from other victims – usually does not are involved in scam / crime
• NATIONAL CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF CRIMES: a public / private partnership with the United States Department of Justice to register crime victims’ assistance organizations (SCARS is registered with the NCVC)
• O’BOY [SCAMMER SLANG]: friend who knows scammer is scamming
• OGA [SCAMMER SLANG]: boss
• O’GIRL [SCAMMER SLANG]: girlfriend who knows scammer is scamming
• PARTNER: another scammer to ask as the fictitious lawyer, doctor or another person to reinforce the scam
• PLUCKER: local money courier picks up money from transfer agent
• POPSY [SCAMMER SLANG]: an informal word for father or elderly man (can be victim or not)
• RITUALISTS: involved in Yahoo Yahoo rituals
• RUNNER [SCAMMER SLANG]: local money courier picks up money from transfer agent
• SAKAWA BOY [SCAMMER SLANG]: Ghana scammer that is involved in Sakawa rituals
• SCAMMER: the cyber criminal themselves
• SCARS: the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scam Inc. a registered professional victims’ assistance, education, and advocacy nongovernmental organization
• SCRIPTWRITER: someone that writes scripts for scammers to follow
• SUGAR MUMMY [SCAMMER SLANG]: an older woman in a relationship / scam
• TEY TEY [SCAMMER SLANG]: old victim comes back after long delay
• TUSH [SCAMMER SLANG]: A refined well-educated scammer
• VICTIMS’ ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATION: an incorporate organization – usually a tax exempt nonprofit that provides professional assistance / advocacy to victims of crimes
• VICTIMS’ ASSISTANCE PROFESSIONAL:  a professional specifically trained and involved in providing assistance to crime victims – most are certified and work for Victims’ Assistance Organizations
• YAHOO BOY [SCAMMER SLANG]: Nigerian style scammer
• YAHOO MILLIONAIRES [SCAMMER SLANG]: very successful Yahoo Boys
• YAHOO YAHOO [SCAMMER SLANG]: internet scammers that have gone into JuJu rituals

TERMS FOR RELATED PLACES OR ACTIVITIES ONLINE:

• ANYSCAM.COM: a universal cybercrime data reporting network developed by SCARS to distribute scam and scammer data worldwide to agencies and governments
• SCAM BAITING: where a victim or other person uses the methods of the scammers against them – meaning they engage in online deception and fraud
• SUPPORT GROUP: a professionally managed peer to peer support group run by a victims’ assistance organization or their affiliate
• VICTIM MINE: a scammer created website or social media page/group that victims willingly follow and participate allowing access to victims that can be scammed over and over
• VICTIM WAREHOUSE: fake or pretender or amateur anti-scam group / website / social media page where victims go to / join / stay not knowing any better – preventing themselves access to real help / support / assistance

SCAM ACTIVITY TERMS:

• AKWUKWO [SCAMMER SLANG]: fake check
• BILL [SCAMMER SLANG]: the amount a scammer plans to take out from his victim
• CAST [SCAMMER SLANG]: means something is now available to everyone and no longer a secret / shared victim / sold victim
• CHEKERE [SCAMMER SLANG]: fake check
• EGO [SCAMMER SLANG]: money from a scam / from a victim
• EKE DON CARRY AM [SCAMMER SLANG]: police have arrested him
• FALL HAND [SCAMMER SLANG]: means did not disappoint / victim paid
• FALL MUGU / TO FALL MUGU [SCAMMER SLANG]: to be fooled and to become a victim of a scam
• FLASH OF ACCOUNT [SCAMMER SLANG]: causes the victim’s bank account to provisionally show a large credit – this is intended to persuade the victim to believe in the deal and send money. the credit gets overturned by the bank when it is discovered that the actual check or electronic transfer was fraudulent – bounces
• FORMAT [SCAMMER SLANG]: the scheme or script of an advance fee fraud, e.g., “the late dictator format” (the 419 scammer pretends to be a relative of a dictator, e.g. Miriam Abacha, “wife” of Sani Abacha), the next of kin plan, the lottery format
• FROZEN [SCAMMER SLANG]: a victim that has run out of money
• GBE JA [SCAMMER SLANG]: run away / victim ran away
• GUCK [SCAMMER SLANG]:  sleep, believe a lie
• HAMMER [SCAMMER SLANG]: strike rich / rich victim
• I GO CHANGE AM FOR YOU [SCAMMER SLANG]: words of warning or threat
• LALAS [SCAMMER SLANG]: money from a scam / from a victim
• NO DULLING [SCAMMER SLANG]: don’t prolong things with the victim
• PACKAGE [SCAMMER SLANG]:  means an ongoing situation / scam
• PAROLE [SCAMMER SLANG]:  means an ongoing situation / scam
• PEPPER [SCAMMER SLANG]: fake check
• PEPPER DON READ [SCAMMER SLANG]: means the person’s luck has changed and the person is richer than expected
• RUMBLE [SCAMMER SLANG]: (Recruitment of Unwitting Money-launderers by Bogus Letters of Employment), which is part of the overpayment scam
• SHUGABA [SCAMMER SLANG]: to be expelled from a gang
• SHOW [SCAMMER SLANG]: money from a scam / from a victim
• WOZAM SLAP [SCAMMER SLANG]: slap or threaten a victim

MODERN NIGERIAN/WEST AFRICAN SCAMMER SLANG:

• ABI: right (as in “exactly, right?”)
• ALL JOIN: collective item or group of things – means everything is included.
• AM: him/her/it
• ARO: funny person
• AWOOF: free things
• BAFFS: designer clothes
• BAFF UP: nicely dressed
• BAKASSI/IKEBE: booty
• BLACK MARIA: slang for prison van
• BURST MY HEAD/BRAIN: this means the speaker is impressed
• CHAO: eat (as in chow)
• CODED: to keep a low profile/keeping a secret
• COMOT: leave
• CRASH: sleep
• DEM: them/they
• DOMOT: entrance/vicinity
• DOPE: used to describe how good something is
• E/IM: he/she/it
• FASHI AM: forget about it
• ITK: all those “overserious” people – ITK stands for “I Too Know”
• JACK: to read or read something
• JAND: UK
• KAK: sit
• KAKA: butt/shite
• KPAI: die/kill
• KUSH: weed/marijuana
• LIKE PLAY LIKE PLAY: joke /  jokingly
• LOW KEY: similar to ‘Coded’ but ‘Low Key’ isn’t necessarily a secret.
• MUD: die/kill
• NACK: hit
• OKADA: motorcycle
• PAM: chill out/patient
• PECHE: chillout
• RUNS: try to do things the bad way / tends to be used to denote illegal or immoral activities
• SABI:  to know
• SHEY?: is that right?
• STRAFF/FRAP/PRAK: sex
• SWAG: this is used to represent another scammer’s style
• TEY (TEY TEY): long time (ago)
• TROWAY: waste/throw away
• UP-FRONT: the up-front money asked for in a scam to protect the involvement in their transaction. Hence the name “advanced fee fraud”
• WAHALLA: trouble
• WAKA:  travel/go/walk away
• WETIN: what? ask a question
• WOZA: slap
• WOZAM SLAP: give him a slap
• YANKEE: US

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SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.

TAGS: SCARS, Important Article, Information About Scams, Anti-Scam, Terms, Definitions, Taxonomy, Beastiary, Scammer Slang, Yahoo Boy, GBoy, Sakawa Boy

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