A question we all want answers to is this: how does one become a target for Mobile Money fraudsters? Because you’ll be living your life in peace — trying to be a law-abiding citizen — only for some deviants somewhere to put you on their radar.
Why is that? How does the chairman go from receiving nice MoMo alerts to receiving text messages and phone calls aimed at stealing the little money he has in his low-energy mobile wallet? This is the question whose answers you’ll find in this article. Don’t go anywhere. Take a deep breath and read until you’re safe.
Becoming a target for Mobile Money fraudsters
There are quite a number of ways through which you can suddenly find yourself on the ‘hit list’ for MoMo fraudsters. Some of these are self-inflicted. Here are the 4 ways to become a target for Mobile Money fraudsters.
1. You are predictable
Some of us are creatures of habit; myself included. And people who are the extreme versions of myself are very easy to predict. They cash out at the same MoMo agent’s stall and if you are observing them, you can predict the next day and possibly the exact time they will make an appearance at their favourite Mobile Money agent’s stall again.
If you’re someone like that, it doesn’t take too much for you to be marked out and become a target for Mobile Money fraudsters. This is because they know you definitely have a MoMo account with funds in it. Some of them might even go to the extent of striking a friendship (more like an acquaintanceship) with you just so they can get close enough to learn more about you.
2. You mentioned a sizeable sum during a conversation
Nobody would know that you have some good money in your account if you don’t say anything about it. You easily become a target for Mobile Money fraudsters and the like once you make mention of or leave the slightest hint that people can expect you to have something respectable in your account.
Be discreet and aware of your surroundings. Most people don’t take the precaution — when they are somewhere other than their bedrooms — of looking around to make a mental note of the people present within the building or their immediate surroundings. This is even why it is possible for stalkers to follow people home without them ever noticing.
3. A friend or associate mentioned you in a conversation
Sometimes you’re not at fault for becoming a target for Mobile Money fraudsters. It’s that talkative friend you have. Some people just can’t help bragging about the moneyed friends they have, and while you were sitting in your corner minding your business, your name was spilling out of someone’s mouth; announcing you as a possible target for Mobile Money fraudsters.
4. They simply tried their luck
Yes, it happens. Not all these MoMo fraudsters are savvy enough to case a target for weeks and months. Some just go the ‘freestyle’ way; shooting their shot until someone is struck. And this is why we need to remain vigilant at all times because we are all at risk here.
Everyone is a target for Mobile Money fraudsters; including other fraudsters; so no one is ever truly safe. The best we can do is minimize our exposure to them. Maybe, just maybe, if you’re a creature of habit, learn to vary your ways. It will keep you safe in the end.
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This story is part of a series JBKlutse.com is developing to educate the public about Mobile Money fraudsters, their activities, and how to stay vigilant and not be a victim.