Nigerian Scams

Today, during an orientation for my medical mission trip to Nigeria, we were warned against doing two things: giving money to people and falling in love. On a previous mission trip, a Nigerian woman managed to bilk a thousand dollars from the mission team with some sob story about her financial hardship. She took her story to all of the team members individually and received about $100 per person. No one on the team knew that the other team members had given so much money until they got back to the US. When you consider that the average yearly income in Nigeria is $350, this was a hugely successful scam.

Some American woman on the medical team apparently fell in love with a Nigerian man during a previous trip. The two of them made plans to marry. Luckily she found out he already had a wife and kids before she paid for him to come to the US. He was looking for a green card.

I think one has to be very, very careful about becoming romantically involved with someone who might be motivated by the possibility of US citizenship. Just ask Terri McMillan.