Some days ago, my mum called me to share something really heartbreaking. It was about the father of my sister’s husband—an elderly man who unfortunately got badly scammed.
Apparently, he had been making secret plans to travel out of the country. The strange part is that he didn’t inform any of his children or even his wife about his intentions. He decided to handle everything by himself. In the process of making arrangements, he came across a travel agent on Facebook. Trusting too easily, he started negotiating with them, believing they were legitimate. From what I heard, he didn’t even transfer money to them directly. But somehow, he ended up giving them one of his most sensitive personal details—his BVN.
Now, for those who may not know, the BVN (Bank Verification Number) in Nigeria is a very crucial piece of information. Once someone has access to it, they can link it to every bank account you have, which gives scammers a dangerous upper hand. That’s exactly what happened in this case. Before he knew it, they started withdrawing money from all his bank accounts—savings, current, even ones he barely uses. They didn’t leave anything untouched. By the time he noticed and started reaching out to his children, most of the money had already vanished.
Of course, he contacted the banks immediately, but by then, the damage had already been done. These scammers had cleaned out almost everything he had. It was after all of this that he finally opened up to his family about what had happened. You can only imagine how they felt—shocked, confused, and pained, all at once.
What makes this story even more painful is that it could have been avoided. If only he had spoken up earlier or sought help from someone he trusted, things might have turned out differently. But this is the sad reality—scammers are everywhere these days, and they’re getting smarter by the day. They prey on people’s desires and desperation, especially online.
This whole experience just reminded me how important it is for everyone to be extra careful, especially when it comes to sharing personal information online. No matter how real or urgent something sounds, never give out sensitive details like your BVN, passwords, or PIN to anyone. Always verify and double-check. Losing the money you've worked so hard to earn is a terrible experience, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Please let’s stay alert, look out for one another, and remember that not everything you see online is what it seems.