‘Nigerian prince’ scam promises million dollar inheritance to steal money

Over the past 20 years, “the scam of nigerian prince” has become the most famous and powerful in the history of the Internet using email or direct message in some social network to steal.

There were various adaptations depending on the country, but the message that the scammers sent consisted of a short presentation in which they posed as a “prince” or a “millionaire” of Nigeria that he needed help, either to send his money abroad or to leave an inheritance.

The criminal behind the message assured that it should be shared financial information to make the trip or, in any case, asked for “a little money” with the promise of returning a higher amount. In this way, they sought to collect funds from several victims or directly steal the money from their Bank accounts.

However, the “micro-payments” were not made in a single operation, but once the victim agreed to make at least one, the scammer demanded increasing amounts with increasing frequency. greater until the person concerned decides not to fall into the trap of the scam anymore. or short of money.

The “opportunity” offered by the message or the mail to multiply the money without the need for to work or do something other than “lend” a certain sum to a “millionaire”, this is what finally seduced the victims, who realize too late the mistake they have made in trusting this “prince “.

One of the ways to avoid falling into this swindle is that the victim stops to think about how a Nigerian prince came to find his email or his profile on social networksWhy would you need help mobilizing your moneywhy he asks for a “loan” and what guarantee is there that everything he says is true.

Although this mode of swindle It is still used to this day and can be relatively easy to detect and prevent, there are other forms that are even more sophisticated and difficult for potential victims to detect. These methods can use more advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and improving the use of social media as a platform to maximize the reach of deception.

For example, the “Faces of GAN” These are extremely realistic images generated by a computer using artificial intelligence and are very difficult to differentiate from a real photograph. With this tool, cybercriminals can also open profiles on social networks or dating apps to start the dating process online scams.

Due to the realism of the simulation, the method used by the cybercriminals This can include the “romance scam” in which one seeks to engage in intimate conversations with the victim, express romantic intentions as soon as possible, and then seek “financial assistance” or encourage “investment opportunities”, usually in cryptocurrency or other types of businesses. who will actually seek to steal money Bank accounts of his victims.

In such cases, it is best to remain alert to sudden expressions of affection, mentions of possible investments or cryptocurrencies. It is also advisable not to allow the conversation outside the dating platform, as these have moderation methods to avoid cases of scams or online theft.