Some Things You Must Know About Yahoo Boys Dating Scams
Dating scams are not only happening on online dating apps and dating sites like the match dating site, the OkCupid dating sites, or the bumble dating site. Knowing that there are "professional" dating scammers should immediately change the way you leak personal information on the internet, especially with people who may come into contact with you first. These scammers have specially designed scripts to prey on their victims, and with so many Yahoo boys running scams, there's always someone nearby to help them when they need it.
In other words, there's a team out there working against you, and if you're not careful, you could be a victim. If someone takes the initiative to talk to you online, be careful not to give out personal information. If you really believe you've met a real person, ask for dating face to face. If they refuse, you know something suspicious has happened. If they ask you for money, it's an instant red flag. Yahoo boys succeed because their victims never question them. But if you stay alert, you can prevent yourself from becoming a target. Check out these things you must know about Yahoo boys dating scams.
They are unable to be punished.
The problem with Yahoo boys' dating scams is that they know their chances of getting caught are slim tonone. Since their headquarters are in Nigeria and since their victims usually take some time to report them to the authorities, they are usually long gone by the time the investigation begins. Police and government officials were virtually powerless to stop them because even if they traced the IP address, it would lead to an internet cafe where many people could access the same IP address.
They create fake profiles.
Another challenge is the ability of scammers to create fake Facebook dating profiles as a cover for their scams. It's easy to take a photograph of a random stranger and create a profile that can be used to prove that the person talking to the victim is real. Although they will never meet or talk on the phone, they can produce photographs of themselves traveling abroad or being stuck in deployment. Until companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can stop creating fake profiles, they're basically giving Yahoo Boy the tools they need to commit fraud.
They have scripts.
While it may sound crazy that people give money to strangers, consider that Yahoo boys often prey on widows and single women to become the men of their dreams. Once you gain trust, the benefits begin to roll in. They have scripts to help guide the conversation, help them answer questions, and provide reassurance when needed so that red flags do not rise. They often pull photos from random Facebook accounts, assuming the identities of people in the military, first responders, etc, so that their stories are legitimate. They seem to have an answer to every question, so their victims are often fooled into not knowing what's going on until it's too late.
They will lie to you.
The setup for a dating scam is almost universal. The liar finds a victim and befriends her, taking advantage of her need for dating and even love. After a while, the scammer starts asking for help. At first, it might be the money to pay a small bill or even the money to buy food if you don't get paid. If the victim agrees, all of a sudden, the demand begins to shift to more money and a greater sense of urgency. Suddenly, money is needed to bail out a relative or to pay for expensive drugs for a sick child or parent.
In most dating scam cases, the money has to be sent to a third party, although it is illogical to send it to someone else and ask them to pass it on to someone you know online. Unfortunately, at this point, the fraudster had the victim so tightly under control that she stopped thinking about logic. She just wants to help. At the end of the day, however, no sick children or family members were held for ransom. It's all a scam. This is a common script that Yahoo boys run, mainly in African countries, especially Nigeria.
