To some, ‘yahoo yahoo’ is a scourge, but to others, a blessing.
The ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ business is not a new phenomenon in the country. The illicit business, mostly perpetrated by young men and sometimes women, is an offshoot of the so-called ‘419’ business of the 1980s and 1990s.
In case you’re wondering how the 419 came about, they derived it from the country’s Criminal Act Section 419 which frowns at obtaining money from people through pretence or impersonation, cheating, falsification, counterfeiting, forgery and fraudulent representation of facts.
Internet fraud has been here for decades and does not seem to be declining in spite of the government’s efforts to stem the tide of the crime that has given the country a bad reputation. In fact, yahoo boys are a dime a dozen, and if you just know where to look, you’ll be able to spot them a mile away.
Take note, this is not a matter of profiling.
Related: Fraud Alert: How to Spot and Avoid Fake Jobs in Nigeria
Yahoo Yahoo: Legends In The Industry
Invictus Obi
If you’re someone who reads the news, you must have heard of Invictus Obi. His real name is Obinwanne Okeke. A transatlantic cyber criminal (it’s the range for me), he used to dupe people left, right and center until they arrested him.
A ruling court sentenced him to ten years imprisonment.
Hushpuppi
The funniest part about this guy’s saga is that prior to his arrest, his household spurned him because they would not accept such money. In turn, he spurned them and we hear he lavished great portions of his wealth in support of his affluent lifestyle. Sadly, all the stolen money in the world did not come to his aid when the authorities got hold of his syndicate.
If you don’t know about what happened to him, read more about it here.
Hushpuppi, aka Ramon Abbas, was tried and arrested for money laundering and is now sitting behind bars.
Related: Breaking: ICPC allegedly arrests Dbanj for fraud
Emmanuel Nwude
Emmanuel Nwude is a Nigerian Advance fee con artist and former Director at the popular Union Bank in Nigeria. He is well known as one of the biggest fraudsters in Nigeria’s history but the third-largest in the world.
He got arrested immediately after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was established by then-president Olusegun Obasanjo. After a very controversial trial, including a bomb scare in the courthouse and attempted bribery of the then-head of EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, Nwude was finally convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was released in 2006.
Many more legends in the yahoo hall of fame exist, and you can read all about them right here.
Related: 50 Cent Reveals Plans to Make Series About Convicted Internet Fraudster Hushpuppi
The Blight of Yahoo Yahoo
For some time now, hardly a week passes without the EFCC parading young men for cyber fraud or some being jailed by courts for internet fraud-related offenses.
In fact, it is almost a daily occurrence to the extent that some people no longer pay any attention to it. It is now a sub-culture, an indication that it is the new normal, despite the country’s criminal justice system being stoutly against it.
As law enforcement agencies scale up their intelligence gathering to track those involved in the crime, the criminals have also learned to up their games to avoid being caught. We’ve heard allegations that some Yahoo boys have informants within the country’s security agencies. Informants who tip them off to escape arrest. No dulling.
Even though it is a serious crime prosecuted by the country’s anti-graft agencies like the EFCC and ICPC, the number of young men recruited into such illicit activities seems to be on an upward swing in the South-West region of the country.
While a part of society seems to be against what they do, we have a new generation of cheerleaders who believe Yahoo boys are doing no harm. This latter category, to justify their support for cyber fraud criminals, say Nigerian politicians do worse.
Yahoo Yahoo In The South-West
From Ondo to Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, and Lagos States, it is the same tale. Yahoo boys are very many in the aforementioned cities, occupying the best housing estates in secluded parts of the cities. They also drive expensive cars, shop in classy boutiques and date some of the prettiest ladies in the cities mentioned because they have the cash to throw around.
Even getting apartments in some parts of the city is now a herculean task because of the rising cost of accommodation instigated by Yahoo boys’ purchasing power. Many believe that is the reigning ‘business’ in the town.
Related: “Nigerian Yahoo Boys Dey Learn,” Korra Obidi Narrates Her Ordeal With Mexican Fraudsters
In Ibadan, the boys are found in areas like Bodija, Ring Road, and Polytechnic Ibadan axis. They shop in some of the newest shopping malls in the city, often intimidating less-endowed shoppers with their crass display of opulence.
Ogbomoso arguably parades the highest number of Yahoo boys in the entire South-west. One could say it is their crowning achievement. And internet scam is so rampant in the city that male undergraduates of other schools often go to LAUTECH for training.
In Ekiti and Ogun States, many of the Yahoo boys stay in Ado Ekiti and Abeokuta, the states’ capitals.
And without a doubt, Lagos is the hub of all Yahoo activities in the country. If you are into Yahoo and have not practiced the illicit scheme in Lagos, you are operating in a lower league because virtually every part of the city and even the suburbs have Yahoo boys. However, the big players stay in a number of places including Ajah, Ikoyi, Epe, Ikorodu etc. Yahoo boys regularly seek enjoyment in high upscale clubs in the areas.
Related: Internet Fraud: Nigerian Footballer Faces Jail Term
Yahoo Yahoo: Their Modus Operandi
Yahoo Yahoo in Nigeria takes various shapes and forms which have undergone evolution in recent years.
Boys involved in the illicit business have various ways of duping their victims – mostly foreigners. These range from romance scam, email fishing, identity theft, impersonation just to name a few. Also includes generating bogus bank transactions that look too good to be true. Conducting shady business deals running into millions of naira, usually in hard currencies.
Some of the men doing these illegal business often resort to seeking spiritual powers from herbalists. We call it juju. They believe this juju it will enable them to hypnotise or control their victims for the time they are on their radar. We call this latter category of boys ‘Yahoo Plus’ boys or ‘G-boys.’
Their tools include laptops connected to the internet that runs almost on a 24-hour basis. They also have premium software exclusively for hacking purposes. Most of them live in secluded places, away from the prying eyes of the public.
A Word From Battabox On Yahoo Yahoo
We advise you never to try. Enough said.
If you have any questions, let us know below.
