Vietnamese users targeted in 5,000+ Nigerian online ‘love scams'

"In 2023 and 2024 Kaspersky researchers identified over 5,260 email scams from Nigerian groups targeting Vietnam," its warning said Tuesday.

The scam emails used to impersonate affluent and influential individuals in a crude attempt to extract money, but have gradually become more sophisticated, incorporating news events and popular trends to attract victims’ attention.

Now they feign affection to coax victims into paying for travel costs or freight for gifts they would receive.

Other scammers claim to be affluent entrepreneurs looking for investment opportunities and lottery company directors giving instructions to receive their reward.

"In some cases, to make their con more convincing, scammers attach photos of documents that supposedly confirm the sender’s identity or winnings," Kaspersky experts said.

Scammers impersonating successful entrepreneurs to lure victims. Photo by Pixabay

Kaspersky spam mail analyst Anna Lazaricheva said Nigerian scammers often use social engineering tactics by maintaining long conversations to establish trust and false legality, weaving tall tales to manipulate victims.

"Their incredible adaptability and evolution are what makes this form of scamming particularly dangerous."

She warned that the tactics would become even more sophisticated and difficult to detect.

On February 17 the Authority of Information Security also warned of the increasing incidence of "love scams" just as Ha Tinh police arrested a group of 50 conspirators specializing in them.

The group used fake Facebook accounts to build identities of successful entrepreneurs to target middle-aged, single, affection-starved women.

With their scripts, the perpetrators gradually build trust and close relationships with the victims.

Once trust is gained, they share their "tips for success" and persuade victims to invest in Bitcoin with promises of a bright future.

This persuades victims that they are not only making a financial investment but also beginning a serious, stable relationship.

Ahead of Valentine’s Day on Feb.14 U.S. company Meta, parent of Facebook, sounded a warning about romance scams, saying scammers might approach victims in many ways, through text messages, scam emails, dating apps, social media posts, discussion forums, and other platforms.

They "pose as attractive, single and successful individuals, often with a military or business background," sending countless cold messages to various targets, looking for a response.

The Authority of Information Security recommends discretion when communicating and making friends online, especially through dating apps and social media.

"Do not make any financial, securities, or crypto investments; do not trust too-good-to-be-true offers," its warning said.

Furthermore, users should take care to safeguard their personal information, avoid sharing it in haste, especially when it comes to bank accounts or card numbers, and always verify the information at hand before taking action, it added.