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Nigerian ‘Yahoo Boys’ Are Posing as US Military Members on Facebook
Courtesy of Military.com
Presented by SCARS for Scam Victims
An Insightful Article From Military.com About Nigerian Scammers!
Video from Military.com – contains advertisement
Courtesy of Military.com
Nigerian ‘Yahoo Boys’ Are Posing as US Military Members on Facebook
- 5 Jul 2019
- Military.com | By James Barber
Facebook scammers go under the microscope this week on the FX Channel news program “The Weekly,” produced in partnership with The New York Times. “Connecting the World” (airing Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT) takes a special interest in scammers who impersonate military members.
Reporter Jack Nicas introduces us to Renee Holland, a woman who was swindled out of her nest egg and whose story ends in tragedy. He interviews Renee and her husband Mark after the scam drained their bank account.
During the course of Nicas’ work on the story, Renee and her father Rudolph Rehm are murdered. Mark was found at the scene and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Nicas later sits down with Marine veteran Daniel Anonson, the man whose face was used to scam Renee and her family. We’ve got a clip in which Anonson learns about the dozens of accounts that impersonate him online.
acebook, busy dodging questions about fake news and the widespread sale of user information, has so far failed to address the scandal of fake accounts that exploit its more vulnerable users.
The Pentagon, veterans and scam victims have tried to raise the issue but haven’t gotten much of a response from Mark Zuckerberg’s crew. Nicas also visited the Pentagon to speak with Kim Joiner, deputy assistant to the secretary of defense for strategic engagement, about the Pentagon’s attempts to deal with the issue. We’ve got two more advance clips below.
These scams may not affect huge numbers of people, but the damage they do to the individuals they entrap is enormous. Scammers (many of them based in Nigeria) are using the goodwill generated by the sacrifices of military men and women to commit crimes that largely go unprosecuted.
“The Weekly” is usually a half-hour program, but this week’s episode will run a full hour as FX and The New York Times advocate for making this issue a national priority.
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Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
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All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here to go to our ScamsNOW.com website.
Oh this is not my first rodeo! So I was a little prepared when I was contacted on Instagram from this guy. He was very persistent. So, I joined “hangouts.” I talked to him for about a week. Leading him on just as much as he led me. About 3 days out, he claimed undying love for me??? lol, next he started asking me about helping him take a vacation here to see his 16-year old daughter. I didn’t believe anything I read. He sent a picture with the words” do you believe me now” written on a napkin. He sent me a picture of himself with his daughter, and one of him sitting in his barracks and out in the field. They were all the same man, but I just laughed. I have seen this plan before. So, I played back. I will say he was quite surprised when I chewed him out after he asked me to request his “box.” of personal stuff including money. I just flat out said NO NO NO~~~~ I knew it was going to cost me somewhere. He was very convincing, but like I said, this is not my first rodeo!