SCAM ALERT: Advance payment of bank transfer is a red flag, Rotimi Onadipe warns

As cyber criminals are getting more sophisticated every day, the CEO of Onadipe Technologies and Publisher of Internet Safety Magazine, Rotimi Onadipe, has warned businessmen and internet users generally to be wary of the common tricks used by internet fraudsters.

Onadipe is a prominent advocate of online safety, whose mission is to create a safer online environment for everyone, including children, young adults, adults, aged people and society as a whole. In addition, he counsels and rehabilitates cyber criminals, victims of fraud and people that are addicted to smartphone.

Recall that Onadipe regularly publishes informative and educative articles about the risks associated with the use of internet and how to avoid them. e.g. cyber crimes, cyberbullying, social media addiction, online gaming addiction, pornography addiction, among others.

In his broadcast to internet users worldwide on Saturday, January 27, 2024, the internet safety advocate focused on advance payment of “Bank Transfer Fees” which fraudsters always request from unsuspecting victims as a compulsory payment to facilitate their business transaction.

Onadipe noted that it is a common trick among fraudsters to demand for a particular amount of money which they always claim to be cost of transfer, processing fees, courier fees or legal fees. According to him, such advance payment is a Red Flag.

He said: “Any time you are requested to make such advance payment, it is a sign that you are dealing with online scammers. At that point, you must be suspicious, careful and do the needful before it is too late.

“When you are in such a situation, don’t send any amount to them. In some cases they will tell you they have helped you to pay part of the bank transfer fees while you will pay the remaining amount. Some of them can even send you some documents as proof of payment in order to convince you that the transaction is legitimate.

“At this point, you need to contact relevant agencies for appropriate action. More importantly, always get in touch with fraud prevention experts for proper guidance and counseling when you are contacted for any business investment or you receive a business proposal that looks too good to be true,” Onadipe added.

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