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Wired
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Image Credit: Wired
How to Win Followers and Scamfluence People
- Format Boy, an influencer popular on various platforms, teaches online scams to a group of West African fraudsters known as the Yahoo Boys.
- The Yahoo Boys engage in scams targeting wealthy foreigners, often utilizing tactics like deepfakes and emotional manipulation to extract money.
- With a focus on social engineering, Yahoo Boys have exploited victims worldwide, leading to significant financial losses and tragic outcomes.
- They use coded terminology, such as 'formats,' for different scam types and maintain a lavish lifestyle on social media.
- Format Boy, a prominent 'scamfluencer,' shares tutorials on creating deepfakes and outlines various scam formats used by Yahoo Boys.
- Despite claiming not to personally engage in scamming, Format Boy provides advice and tools that could aid individuals in illegal activities.
- His teachings have drawn scrutiny for potentially encouraging criminal behavior, but he justifies his actions as empowering those in challenging circumstances.
- Format Boy's optimistic messages on determination and success contrast with the ethical implications of his teachings.
- Facing algorithmic challenges and identity theft issues, Format Boy remains active in sharing scam-related content and exploring new ventures like memecoins.
- The article sheds light on the intricate world of scam influencers and the ethical dilemmas surrounding their activities, emphasizing the impact on victims and broader societal implications.
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