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 […]
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.
1. On an international flight not too long ago, I kind of gleaned at my neighbour’s book and I was quite taken in by it. A Ghanaian born UK banker had been arrested for one of Britain’s biggest bank frauds. Well dressed and very well-spoken, it was difficult to believe that this polished young man could do the most devious of the multiple financial fraudulent activities for which he was accused. I was therefore quite impressed by the book title which my row mate in the plane clutched tightly to. I asked to see it and he handed it to me. I then quickly requested a friend who was away in the UK to get me a copy. The book, ‘Why they do it, Inside the mind of a white-collar criminal’, was written by Eugene Solte, a Harvard business school professor. I lived inside that book for a while. Interviewing 50 former executives about how they ended up where they were. Using psychology, criminology and economics, he came to the conclusion that inordinate ambition and extreme greed often lead to some of the worst financial crimes committed by otherwise brilliant young men and women. The insights and perspectives about what drives powerful and wealthy people to white-collar crime is unbelievable. A must-read!
2. Any book by Kevin Mitnick, one of the world’s most wanted hackers at the time of his reign. He writes from a personal point of view on his escapes, his adventures and how he evaded arrest. Then he tutors you in his many books on the art of deception, the art of intrusion and the art of invisibility. But the most intriguing of his books is ‘Ghost in the wires’, his adventures as a cyber-criminal. An insightful and extremely educational book on how cybercriminals operate and how people like Hush Puppi get away with it for so long. In this book, the world’s most famous hacker teaches you easy cloaking and countermeasures for citizens and consumers in the age of big brother.
3. Any book by any police officer or a police force on cyberbullying and cybercriminals. The metropolitan police have a book on how to manage your online space, your text messages, etc. to prevent con artists from getting the better of you. Also, many countries around the world have little pamphlets and books for citizens and tourists alike to keep them safe from fraud and scam artists. The little book of Scams, the guide to protection against fraud is a book to enable to you recognise the activities of scammers and how w to combat them. This is issued by the Canadian government with a Foreword by Minister and a commissioner. A really useful book.
4. Scam me if you can; simple strategies to outsmart today’s rip artist is an exceedingly useful book for such a time as this. This book is by a former con artist who shows you how to stop scammers in their tracks.
5. Many years ago, I watched a movie titled, ‘One born every minute’, in which a young man could con just about everyone on the street and was quite innovative about how to scam someone every minute. It was a true story. After he was arrested, he ended up working for the police for many years on how to catch scam artists giving insights into the minds of the con artist and their every move. The Con, how scams work, why you are vulnerable and how to protect yourself by James Munton and Jelita McLeod is the book for everyone. No one thinks it can happen to them but it happens even to the best of us. Once you understand the scamming, it will help you to understand how to deal with it and how to avoid it.