Sometimes the gut knows before the mind does.
After I shared my story, something interesting happened.
Someone read it. Ran the number on Truecaller. And sent me a screenshot.
17 spam reports. Warning: Potential Fraud.
Let that sink in.
Not one person. Not two. Seventeen different individuals had already flagged this same number before she ever dialed mine. The comments section told the full story — transportation money requests, emotional pressure, claims of a dying battery, invoking curses to “prove” sincerity, and what one commenter called mentioning things only close people would know — a social engineering tactic designed to make you feel like you’re dealing with someone real.
(S)he wasn’t random. (S)he was practiced.
And here’s what struck me most: her fraud accounts are reportedly registered under variations of her name across platforms like Moniepoint and Opay. This is organized. This is a system.
But here is what I’m taking away — and what I want to leave with you:
Learn to check. Truecaller is free. Running an unknown number takes thirty seconds. Those thirty seconds could save you money, dignity, and the emotional weight of being manipulated.
Block and report — don’t just block. When you only block, you protect yourself. When you report, you protect the next person. Every report adds to a profile that eventually stops a scammer in their tracks. I now understand that reporting is an act of community service.
You are not being unkind by being discerning. Scammers specifically target compassionate people — those who lead communities, those with spiritual authority, those who are known to help. Your kindness is the hook they fish with. Guard it.
