Digital Fraud in Rwanda Part 3: New Tricks Scammers Use to Deceive People by Frightening Them or Promising Miracles
In the second part of this story, we looked at how fraudsters trick people by promising them good jobs with high salaries, which leads to their deception. That is also where I shared my own experience of being scammed. Now, we are going to look at the third and fourth methods that scammers use to deceive people.
The first case is about a mother who was defrauded of 20,000 Rwandan francs after being threatened that her child had been in an accident. You may wonder how this happened.
In Gatsibo District, Kiramuruzi Sector, a mother woke up in the morning, prepared her young son, and sent him off to school. The boy was still very young, a Primary 4 student. Afterward, the mother also went to work to earn money to support the family.
Around 10 a.m., she received a call from an unknown number. When she answered, a woman’s trembling and fearful voice told her to rush because her child had been hit at school and rushed urgently to the hospital, and that he was seriously injured. The mother panicked and did not know what to do. While still in shock, the same number called again, and the caller told her it was urgent and that she needed to send 20,000 Rwandan francs immediately so the child could get medical care because his injuries were severe.
Confused and overwhelmed, the mother quickly sent the money so that her child would supposedly be taken to the hospital. She then decided to head there herself. On the way, she tried to call the number again but found it had been switched off. More worried, she decided to call her son’s teacher to find out what had really happened.
When the teacher picked up, the mother said: “Good morning, teacher, how is the child who was hit at school? I’m his mother.” The teacher was completely surprised and asked around the school if any student had been involved in an accident, but found nothing. The mother went straight to the school and found her son alive and well, sitting in class and studying with his friends.
Shocked, she said, “Oh my God, I have been scammed.” She could not understand how it all happened so fast. But it was clear that the fraudsters knew her well—they knew her child, what he was wearing, and even the school he attended. This is how they managed to exploit her weakness. Many others are also tricked in this way.
The fourth method scammers use is even more surprising. This is when people first pretend to be your friends, gain your trust, and then scam you once you believe in them. This happened to my friend. You may ask how.
One day, while using Facebook, my friend received a friend request from someone who claimed to be from Europe. The profile showed everything: a UK address, photos, place of birth, friends—everything that could make a person look real. My friend accepted the request. The next day, the person, who was a woman, messaged him. Since my friend is a man, they quickly bonded.
They continued talking for days, eventually exchanged WhatsApp numbers, and even started speaking through voice calls. They became very close friends. After some time, the woman told him that she was planning to come to Africa and wanted to meet him in person.
My friend was very excited to know someone from Europe, especially since she had promised to bring him gifts when she came. She said she would stop in Senegal, where her family lived, and he could meet her there. Eventually, the day of sending the gift came. She told him she was at the courier’s office around 1 p.m. Later at 4 p.m., she contacted him again, saying there were problems with her bank and she could not complete the payment. She asked him to send her 100 dollars so that the gift could be shipped to Rwanda, promising to return the money once the gift arrived.
The gift supposedly contained an Apple laptop and an expensive iPhone. Since they had been talking for a long time and he felt they were now true friends, my friend believed her. Thinking the gift was too valuable to lose, he tried everywhere—friends, family, anyone—to borrow the 100 dollars. Unfortunately, no one could lend it to him.
He then suggested to the woman that she send the gift and he would pay when it arrived. She firmly told him that was not possible. My friend was very confused, imagining he was about to lose a brand-new Apple laptop and iPhone.
Desperate, he went to the local courier’s office and pleaded with them to help him. When he explained, they asked him what the package contained. He told them it was an Apple computer and iPhone sent by his European friend. The staff burst out laughing because they already knew these scams well. Many others had come with the same story. They explained to him that in reality, gifts are paid for only upon arrival, never in advance.
That is how my friend was saved from losing 100 dollars. He himself admitted that it was not because of his cleverness but rather because he simply didn’t have the money they demanded.
As we have repeatedly mentioned in the previous parts of this story, you can protect yourself from fraud by never sending money to someone you do not know personally, unless it is for a product you purchased or something you agreed upon.
How to Protect Yourself From Scammers
To stay safe, always verify before you act. If someone calls you claiming your loved one is in trouble, do not rush to send money first contact the school, hospital, or family member directly to confirm the information. Never trust unknown numbers, especially if they pressure you to act quickly.
On social media, be cautious with strangers who seem too friendly too fast. A perfect profile does not guarantee a real person. Avoid sharing personal details or sending money to someone you have never met in real life. Gifts that require you to pay before delivery are a major red flag.
If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always double-check with trusted sources and remember that real institutions never demand money in such suspicious ways. By being alert, patient, and careful, you can save yourself from losing money and from unnecessary heartbreak.
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