The internet among other inventions of man is one of the useful and
\ngreatest inventions that have really impacted on the world at large. The
\ninternet makes things easier and brings the world together in what seems
\nlike one room just at a click on a button. With the help of a computer or a
\nsmart phone, you are linked to any part of the world you choose to
\ncommunicate to someone with ease.<\/p>\n
The internet is filled with good and bad activities, but human beings never
\ncease to increase the bad over the good.<\/p>\n
Any website you need to visit on the internet, all you need is to open your
\naddress bar and type in, World Wide Web (WWW), the name of the website and
\ndot-come and you are linked.<\/p>\n
While the benefits from the internet, social media are numerous, the bad
\nsides keep rising by the day.<\/p>\n
My urge to write on this came urgently due to my past, recent experiences
\nand observations about social media and the internet as a whole.<\/p>\n
Fourteen years ago, when I was new in the affairs of the internet, I ran
\ninto a fraudster who wanted to have me duped. Yahoo messenger and Email
\nmessaging was the popular means of interaction that I knew as at then.<\/p>\n
One of the days, I opened my email box to be welcomed by an email that
\nsound too good to be true. In the message, my full name was addressed. I
\nwas told that I had won a raffle draw and would be paid Two Hundred
\nThousand Pounds. I was amazed and started thinking of what to do with the
\nmoney when finally received and converted to Nigerian currency.<\/p>\n
The fraudster gave me a name and an email address which I was told to send
\na message that he is the person in charge of remitting my money to my bank
\naccount. I actually sent a mail to that email address and as quickly as
\npossible I received a reply from the person. The drama continued to unfold
\nto a point where insurance certificate and another certificate bearing my
\nname and the amount I was meant to be paid were sent to me. Everything
\nbecame so real and I kept it to myself. Then I was asked to supply some
\nvital information on my bank account. Unfortunately, I had no bank account
\nthen, so I suggested they post the money to me using the address I
\nsupplied. The young man later opened up to me. In his words: \u201cYou are lucky
\nthat you did not supply me with your bank details. I\u2019m a Nigerian like you.
\nWe are out there for the white men and their dollars. Next time, you have
\nto be careful the way you browse the internet\u201d. I was astonished at this
\npoint to what made him open up to me.<\/p>\n
Today, internet fraud seems to have become the norm and if these impostors
\nand fraudsters are not succeeding, they won\u2019t be trying the more.<\/p>\n
One of the social media networks that accommodates a large number of
\nimpostors now, is Facebook.<\/p>\n
These impostors use the picture and full name of popular celebrities in the
\nsociety and the world, be it a musician or a movie actor or actress to
\ncreate a Facebook profile. In most cases, they use that of an influential
\npolitician. Once you add them up and they accept your friendship request,
\nthey will be the one asking you questions thus: \u201cName five of my movies you
\nhave watch\u201d. Each question has it followed up which ordinarily cannot be
\ntype within the space of time you receive them. If you supply the answer to
\nthat question, then the next will be the prize you have won for answering
\ncorrectly and a name and phone number to call to claim your prize. Some
\nwill ask you if you want to join Nollywood movie industry and of course
\nyour answer may be yes. The same kind of massage will arrive requesting you
\nto call a particular number who will guide you on how to register and
\nbecome a member.<\/p>\n
Usually, they have few or more picture of the person they are impersonating
\non their profile.<\/p>\n
Recently, I met one of the impostors in the name of one of the popular and
\ninfluential Nigeria politicians. He asked me what I do for a living, I told
\nhim, and then he asked me if I could work in one of the oil companies he
\nmentioned that is based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He claimed that he
\nhad slots for job there presently and that he could offer me one of the
\npositions. I said okay and acted like I needed the job so much. He further
\ngave me a contact and a name telling me to call the number as early as 8:
\nAM, tell the person that I called on his direction for a better listening
\near and then get back to him after my conversation with the person. I then
\nrequested for his contact which he declined giving out with the excuse that
\nI know how bad the country is. So a man of his status feels insecure to
\nrelease his contact to me for security reasons.<\/p>\n
The long messages came in seconds, and then I was fully convinced that,
\nthey were already typed and stored in the system for the manipulation of
\nhis victims.<\/p>\n
When I searched Facebook with the same political figure\u2019s name, I realized
\nthat over 6 accounts were created in his name.<\/p>\n
Beyond every reasonable doubt, this politician may not be the one operating
\nthese accounts.<\/p>\n
The other who claimed to be a Nollywood actor asked me to name five of his
\nmovies. I did with fun. And he further gave me a name and phone number to
\ncall for my prize. When I called the number, my true caller application
\ndisplayed the name as \u201cFRAUD\u201d. Then still chatting with the impostor, I
\ntold him what my true caller said. Till date, he never replied.<\/p>\n
How can I forget in a hurry the incident that occurred when the popular
\nNollywood actor, Muna Obiekwe died and his impostor refused to die with him.<\/p>\n
When the news filtered in, the impostor denied it saying that he was alive.
\nProbably he was not fully aware about the truth that the person he has been
\nusing his name to dupe people and commit other crimes had died truly. When
\nthe truth became obvious to him about the death of Muna Obiekwe. he came to
\nthe same social media handle and accepted the fact that Muna was dead and
\nthat he has been an impostor.<\/p>\n
Before you get so carried away by that new celebrity friend you have found
\non Facebook, twitter or any other social media network, be sure that you
\nare linked to the right person.<\/p>\n
The pictures of these public figures are all over the internet for easy
\naccess. And Facebook does not reject opening of an account with the same
\nname over and over again. There are also no restrictions to uploading of
\nany kind of picture once your account has been created on Facebook. When
\nyou have these tips and more, then you will hardly fall victim of the cheap
\nfraud going on the internet. You will be able to understand that anyone can
\nbe anybody he or she claims to be on the social media network.<\/p>\n
Some of these popular public figures are too busy to be on social media in
\nthe first place. Though, I have few of them who I know their accounts are
\ngenuine both from the movie, musical and political angle because I
\ncommunicate with them also on phone to affirm our interactions on social
\nmedia network.<\/p>\n
The impostors of movie actors and actresses and other popular figures may
\nonly have the intent of defrauding their victims of their money while on
\nthe other angles, some people have actually lost their lives through their
\nassociation with people met on Facebook and other social media.<\/p>\n
Ladies fall victim the more in this regard. A lady would travel all the way
\nfrom Abuja for an instance to Lagos just to see a man for the first time.
\nIt\u2019s not bad to have such amount of trust only if the person is genuine.
\nBut how can you be too sure. As some have ended up being declared missing,
\nganged raped, killed in a hotel room and so on by the person or persons
\nthey had been chatting with on Facebook at their visit. Some become useless
\nafter having that encounter maybe with a fetish man. Who lives them dead
\nbut alive after sleeping with them and robbing them of their destiny. Some
\nhave even ended their relationship which has been moving fine because of a
\nlady or a man they met on Facebook who they are not sure of their genuine
\nidentity.<\/p>\n
For a lady to travel all the way from Abuja to Lagos to meet a man like I
\ngave as an instance, she is obviously ready to sleep over wherever the man
\nchooses for the them to be.<\/p>\n
Hard work and wealth are not meant for the men alone. A lady can also rise
\nabove the standard of being at the demanding circle of a man. You earn
\nyourself more respect when you are not a liability as a woman. A man will
\nnot take you on full ride if you have something to offer close to measure
\nup with what he has to offer. Some ladies in our society like Linda Ikeji,
\nthe blogger is one among other ladies who live an exemplary life that
\nproves that ladies can do it through hard work. I think most Nigerian
\nladies have become so lazy and filled their thoughts with myopic thinking.
\nSome have the belief that all that they can offer to the world to get to
\nwherever they aspire in life is their body. Truly, some ladies are making
\nmoney through the use of their body. But when you get close to such a
\nperson, you will realize that any clothe that is worn all the time without
\na break must wear out. From the skin of such a person you can tell.<\/p>\n
One thing about Christmas is the fact that its celebration never ends. It\u2019s
\na continual thing. But life when lost cannot be regained to see another
\nChristmas.<\/p>\n
The Yuletide is around the corner, wisdom is a gift but yet not everyone
\napplies it. Common sense is not common.<\/p>\n
We need to be at alert whenever we find ourselves on the internet. Like a
\nsaying goes, \u201cAll that glitters is not gold\u201d. And life has no duplicate
\namong other things you may lose on the social media, if you are not careful
\nenough.<\/p>\n
I rest my pen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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