Yahoo boy format: what is it?
Yahoo boys are called so because of their usual e-mail accounts, which are made under the Yahoo platform. They are use these e-mails for committing their internet crimes. Usually, these people have no legal job or business, so they choose to deceive people.
Yahoo boys are, according to the law, those people who carry out internet fraud. This is the article in Nigerian Criminal Code, which means the fraud crime. In the early 2000s, with the common arrival of the worldwide web to Africa, the Internet crimes have become a way to earn money both legitimately and illegitimately.
According to the official statistics carried out by the police, thousands of university students in Nigeria are involved in the Internet fraud schemes. They believe that the “yahoo boy” business will bring them a lot of money and recognition. Mostly, these people are scared of possible unemployment.
So, what people involved in this scam format usually do? Below, we will describe their shady means of business and advice on how to avoid them:
- The typical Yahoo boys start from the “web freestyle” trick. This means they register on a well-known dating website, set up an attractive photo of a beautiful lady or a handsome man as their avatar, and then wait until someone falls in love with them and eventually will be sending money to them, or even paying their bills. Usually, they choose the victims who are recently divorced or heartbroken – these people would be more vulnerable to their tricks.
- Another dating technique that they use what is called “phishing”: similarly to the previous one, they find someone on the Internet. Then they make this person trust them, mostly in a romantic way. Later, they professionally find a way to acquire their personal data like username, password, and credit card number.
- There is a common ticket fraud – when a Yahoo boy has successfully won the heart his victim and then asks to meet up and go on a date, but for that, the poor person has to send him money for a traveling ticket. Mostly, the victim, who is head over heels in love, sends these funds to the Yahoo boy’s account, and then he disappears. Another common trick is the potential lover being at the airport to visit you, but the credit card is declined, so you have to send money to make the visit possible.
- Usually, when a Yahoo boy finds and deceives his victim, he then changes the credit card data and becomes really hard to find.
Unfortunately, the professional dating scam format fraudsters are really hard to stop because they know their business and how to hide from legal measures. They earn a lot of money, have the newest iPhones and cars, and live the luxurious way of life. They make their fortune off the stolen money from vulnerable people.
However, there are some ways to avoid them. If you do not wish to be one of those people who easily fall for every scam, here is a list of tips on how to not get involved with the yahoo yahoo dating format “entrepreneurs”:
- Pursuing a long-distance relationship with someone you barely know is not acceptable. If you do not know this person long enough, you should always be suspicious about him/her and his/her offers. Internet relationships can work out if both parties have good intentions, but if a person starts asking for money or your personal data, this is probably a fraudster. It is recommended to meet up with a person at least once before getting your relationship to the next level.
- Revealing personal data to anyone you meet online is really dangerous. Nobody knows what this person wants to do with your data. Of course, it is pleasant to share the details of your life with the one you possibly could develop a relationship with, but some things should remain private – like your address, credit card information, passwords and so on. The first sign to suspect something is if your Internet friend is asking for these.
- Check the person you met and their messages on Google – sometimes you can find the exact same results on various romance scam websites where people share their experiences.
- There is a website called tineye.com, where you can easily check whether the photo of your lover appears on other sites. Quite often, the scammers use other people’s photos, which they have stolen from someone’s Facebook or other social media page.
- Generally, if a person has only one photo and refuses to send you any more, this is a big red sign.
- If you like spending time on dating sites, you should probably try the paid ones. The members of these sites have to pay to register, so their credit cards are on watch. However, you should still be careful – even these sites have internet scammers.
- Do not fall for suspicious e-mails. If someone sent you an e-mail with a strange attachment, you should never open it – it could be a virus. If a person is asking for money, do not rush to send them. Even if their story is a really sad one and you are feeling sorry for them, there is absolutely zero guarantee it is true. Mostly, internet scammers on dating sites do the same thing, they try to guilt trip the potential victim with their sob story about losing someone close or having an ill relative. If you do not know a person well and he/she is trying to play this card, you should be especially wary of them.
- Try to connect your date on Skype or on the phone. This will not give you any guarantee that a person is reliable, but at least you will know your potential lover is a real person, not a scammer behind a stock photo.
- Check the romance scam websites – if your Yahoo boy has deceived other people, they definitely have stories about him to tell.
- Any suspicious online behaviour should be instantly reported.
Now you know how to avoid Yahoo boy scams. If a person genuinely wants to spend time with you and get to know you, there will be no begging for money from his/her side. Those who gain your trust and then ask for money are usually fraudsters. In order to be safe on the Internet, never send your funds to strangers, even if it is your lover or internet friend. Yahoo boy dating format is still blossoming, and if more and more people stop falling for their scams, this is the only possible way to prevent them from taking away your money and become rich off other people’s hard-earned money.
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