Have you ever heard of the Nigerian prince email scam? In these scam emails, a Nigerian ‘prince’ or other member of the royal family is looking to transfer large sums of money out of the country. The ‘prince’ promises the victim a significant share of this large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment, which the scammer requires in order to obtain the large sum.
This scam is an advanced form of confidence building deception. Over time the victim is persuaded to transfer many small amounts of money until they are in too deep to back-off and recognise that they were fooled, and had transferred a large sum of money to a person they never met.
A 38-year-old Nigerian Instagram influencer, who posted photos of his luxurious life on private jets, fancy cars and hanging out with world top celebrities, was surprised by the authorities, ambushed and arrested amid claims of a £350 million cyber scam. The FBI seized more than £30 million in cash when they stormed his apartment (!)
What are my takeaways from this story?
- Cybercrime does not pay in the long run @Kevin Mitnik @Ross William Ulbricht
- If you are a cyber criminal don’t share it with others! Posting your extreme wealth on social media is not a good idea…
- If you are a cyber criminal who shares your extreme wealth on social media, don’t be surprised when you wake up in the middle of the night with ten armed dudes in your bedroom…
Stay safe.
