The streets of X are not smiling, and yet again, another online fraud story has left people both heartbroken and furious.
A man recently took to the platform to share his ordeal after losing ₦250,000 to a woman who claimed she was into real estate.
According to him, they spoke on the phone, and she sounded genuine this wasn’t your typical catfish story.
He even shared her page and photos, urging people to help retweet and identify the scammer.
But the plot thickened. It turns out the girl whose photos were being used isn’t the scammer at all. In fact, the real lady whose face has now been circulated across X came online to clear her name.
She expressed her frustration, saying she’s been facing online harassment, threats, and even dangerous real-life consequences because of the fraudster using her identity.
According to her, this has been going on for weeks, and she has already reported the case to the police.
This scandal has since triggered heated conversations about the growing menace of identity theft on social media.
One user pointed out how these scammers deliberately target “clean-looking” individuals with quality photos to appear convincing. Others demanded stricter laws, suggesting 20 year jail terms for those found guilty of using someone else’s image for fraud.
It’s a double tragedy one person scammed and out of hard-earned money, and another person’s life thrown into chaos just for looking good online.
A blogger was recently scammed of his hard earned money too through Facebook ads scams.
What does this tell us?
In Nigeria’s digital age, where scamming tactics have become increasingly sophisticated, everyone needs to stay alert.
But more importantly, there must be real accountability and tech-enabled systems to trace and punish these cybercriminals. Until then, anyone can be a victim or be made to look like one.
Stay safe, verify and beware of strangers offering sweet deals online.
