Web scammers, additionally known as “Yahoo boys” or “G-boys”, are more and more taking part in evil “Yahoo Plus” rituals that contain human sacrifices and supernatural practices with a view to improve their felony success, the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) has warned.
The EFCC made this warning in a put up on X, stating, “G-boys at the moment are going religious, involving themselves in rituals and making it the brand new normal. EFCC will come for any particular person. Then, it gained’t be enterprise as normal.”
— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) October 17, 2025
Public response on social media to the EFCC’s announcement was blended. One consumer, @Hajimuba504, commented, “At this level EFCC wants a deliverance division to make Pastor be a part of process power. Una go quickly add ‘Chief Priest’ to recruitment checklist no fear.”
@Odenigbo511 wrote, “EFCC, Our GDP was 800 Billion in 2014. Some folks have looted it to 150 Billion in 2025 And its not yahoo boys, However you havent prosecuted anybody.”
One other consumer, @Raypowerjustice, wrote, “Shameless felony entity that may’t account for all of the Vehicles, telephones, laptops, cash and homes they seized. The place is Yahaya Bello? Politicians are your greatest pals, younger boys are your enemies. You may have resigned but faux pastor Chairman.”
For a decade, “Yahoo boys” has been a preferred Nigerian time period for younger males concerned in web fraud, utilizing numerous scams like phishing, romance fraud, faux enterprise offers, and identification theft to steal cash, typically from victims overseas.
These fraudsters gained their nickname as a result of many early scammers used Yahoo electronic mail accounts as a main communication software.
The time period “G-boys” is a slang that means a extra flamboyant life-style related to the fraudsters, typically characterised by flashy garments, costly automobiles, and social media shows of wealth.
As the general public turns into extra conscious of conventional scams and organisations just like the EFCC crack down on them, scammers are taking extra drastic ways.
Many have turned to religious and mystical rituals to extend their possibilities of success, a phenomenon often known as “Yahoo Plus”.
This new wave combines standard cybercrime strategies comparable to phishing, romance scams, and enterprise electronic mail compromise with voodoo and occult practices.
Rituals reportedly embody utilizing objects like used sanitary pads to guard scammers from detection and improve their wealth.
The darker variant entails kidnapping, human sacrifices, harvesting physique elements, and weird rituals comparable to “intercourse with ghosts.”
Stories point out that witch docs information scammers on the precise physique elements wanted for his or her rituals. For instance, to sabotage knowledge in massive laptop networks or perform enterprise espionage, sure physique elements like two left eyes and a younger lady’s left breast (not older than 25) are required to arrange black magic potions.
A French lady named Anne Deneuchatel wrote a guide titled Je ne serai plus une proie, or “I Will No Longer Be a Prey,” detailing how she was tricked, coerced, and finally defrauded of over £700,000 by con artists posing as Brad Pitt, a Hollywood star, in a high-profile case that was publicised earlier this 12 months.
She reveals within the guide how scammers posing as Hollywood actor Brad Pitt swept her right into a digital romance that was equal elements intoxicating and harmful over the course of 14 months, from April 2023 to June 2024.
The scammers claimed the actor urgently wanted cash for kidney remedy, stating his financial institution accounts have been frozen on account of divorce proceedings together with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
Anne reportedly misplaced €830,000 ($850,000) within the rip-off, in response to her lawyer Laurene Hanna.
In April, the Lagos State Police Command uncovered and dismantled an unlawful web fraud coaching facility, often known as a “Yahoo College”, within the Iju space of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, acknowledged that 4 principal suspects have been arrested alongside six trainees.
In line with him, among the many trainees was an underaged boy recognized as Minachi Udochukwu.
The assertion learn partially, “In the course of the profitable operations, the police detectives arrested 4 Yahoo specialists who have been working the infamous college, specifically Chibuike Ihejika, 23; Stanley Ihejika, 22; Obiora Oyediba, 26; and Emmanuel Oyedibe, 25.
“The opposite six suspects are their felony trainees, all of whom have been present process coaching in cybercrime and fraud: Okorie Henry, Otoh Chisom, 20; Okeke Kwufrochikwu, 26; Uchenna Obeji, 26; Minachi Udochukwu, 12; and Chinedu Ukachukwu, 23.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the principal suspects of the ability recruited their trainees from Anambra State, engaged them to commit web fraud and different associated crimes.
“The proceeds from their fraudulent actions have been being confiscated by the principal suspects.”
