The Scams of the Yahoo Boys (and How to Protect Yourself From Falling Victim)

Online scams can target anyone and come from anywhere, but organized scams are particularly insidious. Organized scammers are relentless, daily targeting millions of social media and email accounts through phishing and other cyberattack techniques. 

The chances are that you or someone you love has been targeted by a group of scammers before.

The fraudsters who perpetrate these crimes commit to finding victims 24/7, swindle a staggering number of victims, and are often headquartered in regions across Africa and Asia. A group of loosely organized young men in West Africa, who call themselves the “Yahoo Boys” pose one of the largest threats to your cybersecurity and to your bank account.

The Yahoo Boys use a wide variety of scams to target lonely Westerners from all demographics and steal millions. These cybercriminals have been extremely effective and are especially nefarious. 

Who are the Yahoo Boys? How can you protect yourself and your loved ones from their attacks?

Let’s take a look. 

Who are the Yahoo Boys?  

Headquartered in Nigeria, the Yahoo Boys are a group of cybercriminals who target victims in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the U.S. The group is mostly young, poor men who catfish their victims through love scams. 

These men spend hours crafting sophisticated fake profiles on dating sites, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media platforms. They target lonely people who represent a variety of demographics and make unsuspecting victims fall in love with fictitious profiles. They set the trap, lure their prey in, and then start the demands for money.

How Yahoo Boys Scam

The nickname, the “Yahoo Boys” has its roots in the infamous Nigerian Prince email phishing scam that hit millions of Yahoo! accounts in the early 2000s. Each member of the group boasts about the money they’ve pilfered from their victims — thousands of dollars, and often the net gain for these fraudsters falls in the 5 to 6 figure range.

The Yahoo Boys bet on victims who believe they could never fall for an online scam. Imagine connecting with a stranger on social media. You trade comments and seem to share interests. 

This stranger gleans details from your life, and after a while, they send you a private message:

I am a single American Dad and in the army. I think you are beautiful. 

or 

I’m a 22 year-old model. I’m going through a rough time financially, but I am ready for love. You are so handsome. Are you looking for love, too?

You’re flattered, and you take the bait. After a few interactions, you feel as though you’ve created a genuine connection. However, as your bond deepens, your new online friend refuses video calls and won’t exchange current photos. Their profile picture seems too good to be true, and may look like a professional or stock photo.

And then the financial solicitations begin. They need money for air travel, or their grandma is sick and can’t afford an operation. You take the bait and wire money to someone you’ve never met in person. 

Once your “friend” has emptied your bank account, they disappear. Chances are, you’ve fallen victim to the schemes of a Yahoo Boy. From phishing to catfishing, Yahoo Boys scams are plentiful.

Who are the Yahoo Boys targeting?

Although members of the Yahoo Boys might target anyone who seems like easy prey, recently the group has flooded high schools, universities, and youth club sports teams with fake profile accounts through sextortion scams. 

The Yahoo Boys scams targeting young people may include soliciting sexually compromising photos and demanding a ransom to ensure the photos aren’t released on the Internet. 

In November 2023, 5 Yahoo Boys were indicted for the largest-ever sextortion financial scam. According to the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), in 2023 financial sextortion scams rose by a staggering 1000%, and the victims are often teenagers. 

Other targets of the Yahoo Boys include:

• Divorcees
• Elderly people
• Single adults looking for love online
• Widows and widowers

The Yahoo Boys may pose as members of the U.S. military or young, vulnerable women in order to lure in unsuspecting victims. These cybercriminals flood social media with fake accounts with a clear mission: In 2024, Meta took down 63,000 Nigerian-based Instagram accounts targeting U.S. men in sextortion schemes.

Signs of Yahoo Boys deepfake scams 

How can you tell if you’re being scammed by a Yahoo Boy? These fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and will typically use technology to make their schemes appear more legitimate.

For example, in recent years, the Yahoo Boys have used deepfake AI to launch their cyberattacks, which can make signs of their fraud harder to detect. However, there are still signs you can look for to avoid being scammed.  

Signs of Yahoo Boys deepfake scams might include:

• Inability to move: If a Yahoo Boy agrees to a video call and you believe they might be using face-swapping technology, ask them to perform a spontaneous action in real-time. Limited or rigid movement could indicate a deepfake. Spontaneous movement could reveal blurred lines or facial features that suddenly appear pixelated.
• Random friend requests or DMs: If you receive an Instagram message from a stranger or a random friend request on Facebook, even if this connection appears valid, verify their identity before accepting or interacting with a stranger. For example, a Yahoo Boys catfishing profile will probably include photos that look like stock photos or manipulated images, won’t have much content on their page, and will often have few “friends” or followers. 
• Weird phrasing or grammar errors: Many people might struggle with spelling and grammar. However, if a Yahoo Boy is scamming you, their messages might be riddled with spelling and grammar errors and contain weird syntax. For example, if a stranger claims to be a “Geniral with the Amerikan Military,” you’re probably getting scammed.

The high cost of Yahoo Boys scams

The Yahoo Boys continue to perpetrate online scams and often make quite a bit of money from their nefarious activities. In Utah alone, 7 Yahoo Boys stole $8 million from multiple romance scam victims (thankfully, they ultimately faced justice for their crimes). For many of these boys and young men, grifting is a full-time job.

From widows and widowers to teenage boys, Yahoo Boys romance scams and financial sextortion are on the rise. Unfortunately, financial sextortion is one of the fastest growing cybercrimes, and has cost far more than money. A recent article from USA Today  shares the stories of multiple teenage boys who took their own lives as a result of these scams.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones from falling into the snares set by the Yahoo Boys.

How to avoid falling victim to Yahoo Boy scams

In order to protect yourself from the scams of the Yahoo Boys, it’s important to know how to practice diligence and avoid their traps. Here are some of the ways you can prevent falling for their scams.

Protect your personal information

Keep your online profile settings secure and avoid sharing confidential or sensitive personal information online. Never share your financial details on social media, and avoid responding to messages from strangers. Block anyone who pries for personal details or asks you for money.

Consider using identity theft protection software like LifeLock for extra cybersecurity protection.

Search Images and Look for Deepfakes

If you connect with a stranger online and suspect they are catfishing you, search their profile images using Google Lens or similar reverse image lookup apps. Yahoo Boys often steal the images they use from previously existing profiles or stock photos.

If you’re on a video call, look for signs of face-swapping software and deepfake tells like body rigidity or awkward movement.

Never Transfer Money

Asking for money is a huge tell in a Yahoo Boy scam. Remember that online interaction can never paint the full picture of another person. Even if you’ve exchanged messages and feel that your connection is valid, if a relative stranger asks you for financial help for airfare or uses manipulative tactics to express their financial needs, don’t send money. 

Scam artists may ghost you immediately after receiving your financial gift, or could continue to ask for more without producing results. 

For example, imagine a potential love interest says they can’t afford to come visit you. You’ve developed feelings for this person through online communication and decide to pay for their airfare. Suddenly, they have to postpone their trip due to another financial hardship and ask you to send more money. This should serve as a red flag and you should cease communication with this individual.

Although the Yahoo Boys create many online romance and sextortion scams, there are myriad scammers lurking on the Internet and waiting to steal your money, identity, and more. Visit What Is My IP Address to learn how to protect yourself online. 

For more tips on how to protect yourself from cyberattacks and scam artists, visit our blog or listen to our Easy Prey podcast available to stream on your favorite podcast platforms.