Five books on caution in scam artist territory

The arrest of Hush Puppi (real names Raymond Abbas Igbalodey) a Nigerian international scam artist in Dubai along with 12 of his gang members again shows how easy it is for scam artists of the most amazing proportion to mainstream their lives and suddenly be part of our culture while living large and pretending to be hardworking.

In fact, his comments and his larger than life attitude online and elsewhere will be disturbing to the discerning. He talked often about how he was a role model, and his life, in the midst of an all-white star group as the only black amongst designers and jet setters was an inspiration he wanted to gift to the younger generation. These things made me sick to my stomach. He was let into the hallowed chambers of institutions that worshipped money and even racist organisations were ready to welcome him because he had money to spend. All this while, like the scammers before him stealing from individuals and companies through internet scam. But it is the same tool that he used for the scam activities that eventually undid him. His pictures, his Instagram pages, the razzmatazz, designer watches, bags, cars, etc. Those who toil day and night for their money would be more circumspect. Tracking him for months, Dubai police finally arrested him on the 10th of June 2020. The number of people he and his gang had stolen from was mind-boggling. Wanted in Europe, the UAE and Nigeria, his modus operandi according to a senior prosecution official was that“They would send out letters from email addresses almost identical to those of legitimate companies with the purpose of diverting payments for themselves.” What was seized from his house; 13 luxury cars and 16 billion naira in cash shows his life of debauchery. But this is a big fish, yet small scam artists abound, in supermarkets, at eateries and at airports. Indeed, my daughter-in-law just informed me about how she had been scammed at a famous Abuja shopping mall by someone who claimed his wife had just had a baby by Caesarean and he needed money for hospital fees. She had given him the money only to find out the same guy had scammed two of her friends in the same location two weeks earlier. Sounds familiar? As the economic downturn continues in its wake, crime will be on the increase, so one needs to be cautious about a lot of things and not fall prey to these scam artists. Here are five books to help you stay safe at this time in our lives.