In 2019, Chidi (placeholder name for obvious reasons) was an ordinary student at a Nigerian university, blessed with a supportive family.
His mother and brothers ensured he never lacked, but circumstances shifted when he couldn’t secure a hostel on campus. Forced to live off-campus, he shared a room with four other students, all immersed in the world of “Yahoo Yahoo,” Nigeria’s infamous internet fraud scene.
“Where I found myself, I could not secure a hostel within the school premises. I had to stay with students outside the school. All of them were Yahoo Boys,” Chidi recounts.
The room buzzed with ambition and deception, housing four regulars and one occasional visitor who is the mastermind and introduced the group to Yahoo Yahoo.
They didn’t start with high-end MacBooks or iPhones; simple Androids and basic Windows laptops sufficed.
“I had everything to start internet fraud, and people who send money from home. So, they used that to convince me to join them. I initially rejected,” Chidi said, resisting their advances until his second semester of 200 level. For four months, he held firm, but temptation loomed.
The turning point came when one roommate cashed out hundreds of thousands of naira. The group’s leader, already wealthy, seemed untouchable, but this fresh success swayed Chidi.
“I got convinced when one of us collected hundreds of thousands of naira,” he admitted. The promise of quick money proved irresistible.
Chidi dove in, opening an account on Kik, which required strict verification. He paid between $60 and $100.
“We looked for a picture to use. We simply placed it in front of the phone screen for facial verification. Sometimes, you have to pay for it,” he explained.
He also used a 2nd line app to secure a US-verified phone number, a crucial tool for operating a WhatsApp account.
“Kik can bar your account at any point if they notice any discrepancies,” he learned.
His first client came through Kik, and after moving to WhatsApp, he played the game. Chidi and the client exchanged nudes (his was fake) to build trust. Chidi’s first “cash out” was a $50 gift card, which he split with the group, including the leader who brought him in.
That initial success came with setbacks. 2nd Line blocked his US number, forcing adaptation. A robbery at his hostel provided an excuse to ask his mother for a new phone. She bought him an iPhone X, geo-locked to the US, ideal for calls, SMS, and WhatsApp.
“I paid over ₦30,000 for that,” Chidi said, plus monthly fees to keep the number active. It was his second conscious investment in his new life.
By 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic turned the internet into a goldmine.
“I made a lot of money during COVID. A lot of lonely and depressed people were on the internet and so I chatted with a lot of people who responded,” Chidi recalls.
Within a year, he amassed over ₦10 million, using platforms like Facebook, Badoo, and paid sites. “You have to invest to open accounts on as many apps as possible,” he learned. The money fuelled a lavish lifestyle.
When school resumed in 2021, he was transformed. Surrounded by new friends (especially in Lekki, Lagos), he clubbed, drank, and womanised, though he drew a line at smoking. “I never smoked,” he insisted.
He became an agent in the Yahoo ecosystem, specialising in lotto scams.
“Once an internet fraudster acquires a client, he will tell the client that he has won money from the government or somewhere, but he needs to contact an agent before he claims his money,” Chidi explained.
Clients were redirected to him, and the payments were made to his legitimate Cash App. He then splits the proceeds among all involved. He also traded Bitcoin and dabbled in Forex, diversifying his hustle.
The money funded extravagance. Chidi bought massive land (one acre), lived in a “very expensive, well-furnished apartment,” and indulged in clothes, shoes, and accessories.
A car tempted him, but “they must not know at home that I was doing Yahoo Yahoo,” he reasoned, keeping his secret hidden. School, academics faded as he travelled across states, chasing the next score.
A failed attempt to escape fraud
In 2022, Chidi tried to leave the fraud game by pivoting to legitimate ventures. By early 2023, he was trading gold and running an ushering company, paying girls ₦5,000 per job while earning ₦10,000 for each.
He attended vocational school, learning to make liquid soap and supplying big-time restaurants across states. Chidi sold clothes and shoes, helped people order items from abroad. But the past pulled him back.
Late in 2023, a friend introduced him to a client whom he couldn’t resist.
“I just wanted my friend to claim the money. I did not want to go back to Yahoo Yahoo,” Chidi said, but small deals led to a massive ₦20 million score. “Altogether, I got over ₦30 million,” he confessed.
The high was short-lived. Less than a month later, in 2024, his colleague was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Under pressure to meet arrest targets, the EFCC officials pressured the friend, who then named Chidi.
“EFCC officials usually have an arrest target and usually ask arrested fraudsters to bring in one person to be released,” Chidi learned.
Read also: Azaman: Auchi-based yahoo boy arrested for allegedly laundering N450 million
The EFCC ordeal was gruelling. Within a week, Chidi was in court with others, facing a case that dragged on for over a year.
Transferred to Lagos, he watched as his home was searched, revealing internet fraud tools and “unusual transactions” in his accounts. His accounts, holding over ₦50 million, were frozen. He also had $8,000 in his Cash App.
“The case lasted more than a year because they could not pick one thing that could stand out against me. Besides, I was already doing legit business before I was arrested,” he argued.
The prosecution team and eventually the judge fixated on the inexplicable transactions, given his savings account limits. Chidi spent six months in a remand centre, a place that reshaped his perspective. There, he met people who saw his wealth as destiny.
“You’re destined to be rich,” one insisted, marvelling at the millions Chidi made, more than most Yahoo Boys.
Released on bail with guarantors, Chidi continued attending court trials, awaiting a final judgment.
The experience broke something in him. The money, the thrill, the lifestyle, it came at a cost he hadn’t anticipated.
Reflecting on his journey as a Yahoo Boy, he realised the scams—dating, lotto, house rentage—exploited trust and dreams. He’d justified it as survival, but the weight lingered. Now, Chidi is rebuilding, focusing on legitimate businesses, haunted by the EFCC’s looming shadow.
Laws against ‘Yahoo Yahoo‘ Nigeria
Internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” is a serious offence in Nigeria.
The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, criminalises activities like hacking, identity theft, and fraudulent schemes, including those via platforms like Kik, WhatsApp, or Cash App.
Offenders face up to seven years in prison, fines, or both.
The Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, targets advance fee scams, with penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, empowers the EFCC to investigate and prosecute cybercrimes, tracing “unusual transactions” and freezing accounts, as Chidi experienced.
Convictions hinge on proving intent and unexplained wealth, though evidence collection challenges can prolong cases. The Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, addresses illicit funds from cybercrime, with penalties up to 14 years’ imprisonment.
These laws reflect Nigeria’s commitment to combating cybercrime, with the EFCC and courts actively pursuing offenders. However, enforcement faces challenges like jurisdictional issues, bribery within the Commission’s ranks and sophisticated fraud schemes, making rehabilitation and prevention critical alongside punishment.
Read also: EFCC secures conviction of 4 Filipinos, 7 Nigerians for cyberterrorism and internet fraud
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