Female Romance Scam Victims Explaiin Growiing Threat To True Love

What should be a sacred expression of love and companionship has become a hunting ground for fraudsters. Across dating apps and social platforms, many are being duped in the guise of romance.

This is a trend the EFCC describes as both alarming and heart breaking, given that love is meant to be a special gift from God, not a tool for decieption.

Nigeria reportedly has a high number of online romance fraudsters. In 2021, Nigeria was responsible for 1,129 romance scams, with victims loosing a total of £12.1 million.
The scams are often carried out by individuals known as Yahoo Boys.

Across social media platforms and dating apps, scammers are posing as genuine friends or lovers just to request for money and disapear afterwards.

One victim, Jennifer Wilson, a UK-based customer representative, told THE WHISTLER how she was dupped by a man she met on a dating site.

She stated that she met a man named James while on a dating site; they started texting and he introduced himself as a software engineer staying in China.

“His expressions of tenderness and care melted my heart… along with the most loving potery, and before I knew it I was so much in love with him as he was with me,” she said.

“He told me that he needed cash as he couldn’t cash his final paycheck, that he needed me to send him $300 to finish a payment.”

She pointed out that her friends adviced her against it but she was blinded by love. After about a week, he requested $285 from her, saying he was involved in an accident.

“There were obvious red flags but I did not imagine that he would hurt me after all the cozy promises, love and affection that I felt we shared.”

She stated that “I finally woke up to the fact that I’m being scammed after he stopped responding to my messages, mails and calls. I didn’t know what a hideous and vile world-wide scam that has become, and many unfortunate people have fallen victim to their traps.”

For Cynthia Robertson, a Ghana-based medical doctor, the experience was even more decieving for her. “I don’t know why this happend to my life,” she stated.

Cynthia said that a man sent her a friend request on Facebook. After she accepted, they got talking and he made his intentions clear — that he had fallen in love with her.

She emphasized that it was too quick, although she enjoyed the company she got whenever she speaks to him and how he cared about her well being.

“He asked for my help financially, to close a contract deal, saying he was short on funds. He stressed that he had some hours left to the deadline. Not having 3,686 Ghanaian cedis, I had to get my friends to add to the money I had at that point.”

She noted that after she sent the money to him, she could not reach him again. It hurt her so bad because she did not have such funds and she went to the extent of borrowing money from friends just to make the person she loves happy.

“I can’t believe and imagine that I have to pay this amount just to be scammed of it. For me this amount is large. I feel really depresed and I’m thinking about death,” she stated.

The rising cases of romance-related fraud undercores the urgent need for heightened public awareness and digital vigilance.

Attempts to reach Dele Oyewale was unsuccesful as several calls and messages sent to him were unreplied.

However, authorities including the EFCC continue to warn that individuals should exercise restraint and verify the authenticity of online acquaintances before sharing personal information or offering financial assistance. Love, though deeply personal, should never come at the cost of sound judgement.

“In an era where affection can be easily imitated and trust swiftly betrayed, caution remains the most effective safeguard against falling victim to decieption in the name of love.”