A Disturbing Trend on Facebook: Scammers Using Images of Well-Known Nigerians to Lure Users to Dubious Financial Offers
A concerning development has emerged on Facebook, where scammers are exploiting the images of prominent Nigerians to deceive users into investing in questionable financial schemes. The scammers are using fake posts and bogus claims to lure unsuspecting users into trading platforms, promising unrealized profits.
One such instance is the case of Aisha Buhari, the former First Lady of Nigeria. A Facebook page, Dann Films, used her image with a misleading caption claiming she had passed away, which is completely false. The page, created in 2018, has been linked to multiple administrators under the name “Danny Ting Kts,” according to a Truecaller search.
The scammers also cloned the branding of the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard, publishing a fabricated headline claiming Aisha Buhari did not know she was being recorded and was giving her last goodbye. This is a major concern, as it shows how scammers are exploiting the identities of public figures to manipulate social media users.
Another example is Seun Okinbaloye, a television presenter, whose image was used on a different Facebook page. Similarly, Journalist Kadaria Ahmed’s image was also used for the same purpose.
Experts, including technology expert Akinwale Balogun, have warned that these pages are not only misleading but also harmful to the social media platform and its users. He urges Facebook to take immediate action to eradicate such posts from its platform.
The scammers are using a common tactic to deceive users: they create fake news stories, using the images of well-known figures, and claim to have obtained exclusive information. The aim is to direct users to a website, where they are asked to sign up for a trading platform, promising unrealized profits.
For instance, a post on Aisha Buhari’s image claimed she had made a statement on a live television program and revealed a way to become rich without doing much work. The post aimed to create a sense of urgency, claiming the deleted conversation between Aisha and an interviewer could provide a glimpse into her secret to success.
The post promoted the trading platform Spectrax, which promises to make $250 into millions in 12 to 15 weeks. The scam claimed the platform uses self-learning artificial intelligence, which trades crypto-currencies on the user’s behalf. However, in reality, users are only asked to make a minimum deposit and wait for a call from the platform’s operator to sign up.
Findings have revealed that this technique is not limited to Aisha Buhari’s image. Other prominent figures, including Channels Television presenter Seun Okinbaloye and Journalist Kadaria Ahmed, have also been targeted by scammers using similar tactics.
It is crucial for Facebook to take immediate action to address this issue and ensure the safety and integrity of its platform. As Balogun stressed, “The actions of those pages are not only misleading but harmful to users and Facebook itself. It is high time Facebook took measures to address the situation before the pages turn it into what it is not.”
