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The Yahoo Boys: Real Life with the Love Scammers of Lagos
A work of immersion journalism about four young romance scammers in Lagos, Nigeria, exploring how and why they scam, and the moral dilemmas they face
When his mother started emailing with a handsome American soldier who promised to send gold bars to her Madrid apartment, the journalist Carlos Barragán came face to face with the human toll of online romance fraud. After tracing the emails to an IP address in Nigeria, he traveled to Lagos to find his mother’s scammer and stumbled on a bigger story. There, in a crowded and impoverished neighborhood in the midst of Africa’s largest city, he encountered thousands of young men engaged in romance scamming. They call themselves “Yahoo Boys,” and each year they steal millions of dollars from lonely victims overseas, building a dizzying local economy from their phones.
In The Yahoo Boys, Barragán takes us inside the lives of four of the Yahoo Boys of Lagos. We meet Biggy and Chibuike, each struggling with the temptations of fast money; Azeez, a tailor’s apprentice caught between the lure of crime and Nigeria’s economic crisis; and Richie, who believes he caused the death of a Kentucky woman who was his victim for years. Some Yahoo Boys attain the status of folk heroes, buying houses and cars with the money they steal, while others become dependent on drugs and “cash out”―successfully scam a victim―only to lose it all.
Through the Yahoo Boys’ twisting fortunes, Barragán discovers the psychological tactics they perfect, the brutal economic realities that drive them, and the moral dilemmas they confront. A work of radical empathy, this book reveals the human face behind a global phenomenon, and shows how loneliness in the West and poverty in Nigeria are two sides of the same coin.
When his mother started emailing with a handsome American soldier who promised to send gold bars to her Madrid apartment, the journalist Carlos Barragán came face to face with the human toll of online romance fraud. After tracing the emails to an IP address in Nigeria, he traveled to Lagos to find his mother’s scammer and stumbled on a bigger story. There, in a crowded and impoverished neighborhood in the midst of Africa’s largest city, he encountered thousands of young men engaged in romance scamming. They call themselves “Yahoo Boys,” and each year they steal millions of dollars from lonely victims overseas, building a dizzying local economy from their phones.
In The Yahoo Boys, Barragán takes us inside the lives of four of the Yahoo Boys of Lagos. We meet Biggy and Chibuike, each struggling with the temptations of fast money; Azeez, a tailor’s apprentice caught between the lure of crime and Nigeria’s economic crisis; and Richie, who believes he caused the death of a Kentucky woman who was his victim for years. Some Yahoo Boys attain the status of folk heroes, buying houses and cars with the money they steal, while others become dependent on drugs and “cash out”―successfully scam a victim―only to lose it all.
Through the Yahoo Boys’ twisting fortunes, Barragán discovers the psychological tactics they perfect, the brutal economic realities that drive them, and the moral dilemmas they confront. A work of radical empathy, this book reveals the human face behind a global phenomenon, and shows how loneliness in the West and poverty in Nigeria are two sides of the same coin.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 9, 2026
About the author
Carlos Barragán
1 book33 followersCarlos Barragán is a reporter and researcher for The New York Times based in Madrid. He was formerly a reporter at El Confidencial before receiving his MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. The Yahoo Boys is his first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
July 28, 2026
𝐀 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈’𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐨 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.
I expected much more from this. Not necessarily more sensationalism, but more stakes, more complexity and, most importantly, more insight.
Barragán gets remarkable access to the Yahoo Boys he follows, but that access never translated into the depth I was hoping for. Their stories are contradictory and sometimes obviously performative, and eventually Barragán himself acknowledges that he doesn't always know when he's being told the truth. That left me wondering what I'd actually learned from spending all this time with them.
I also wanted a much deeper exploration of the circumstances surrounding this world. Poverty and limited opportunities are part of the picture, but so are family obligations, expectations around providing, status, personal choices and countless other cultural and social factors. The particular men followed here didn't give me that complexity, and I never felt the cultural divide between journalist and subjects was successfully overcome.
The victims' stories didn't have the impact I expected either. Romance scams can be enormously destructive, financially and psychologically, yet the cases here never really conveyed the scale of that potential devastation for me.
The book promises the human face behind a global phenomenon, but I felt I'd already seen that face. We've heard these stories through documentaries, catfishing programmes, reality television and the news. I kept waiting for the book to take me somewhere those accounts couldn't.
It never did.
I expected much more from this. Not necessarily more sensationalism, but more stakes, more complexity and, most importantly, more insight.
Barragán gets remarkable access to the Yahoo Boys he follows, but that access never translated into the depth I was hoping for. Their stories are contradictory and sometimes obviously performative, and eventually Barragán himself acknowledges that he doesn't always know when he's being told the truth. That left me wondering what I'd actually learned from spending all this time with them.
I also wanted a much deeper exploration of the circumstances surrounding this world. Poverty and limited opportunities are part of the picture, but so are family obligations, expectations around providing, status, personal choices and countless other cultural and social factors. The particular men followed here didn't give me that complexity, and I never felt the cultural divide between journalist and subjects was successfully overcome.
The victims' stories didn't have the impact I expected either. Romance scams can be enormously destructive, financially and psychologically, yet the cases here never really conveyed the scale of that potential devastation for me.
The book promises the human face behind a global phenomenon, but I felt I'd already seen that face. We've heard these stories through documentaries, catfishing programmes, reality television and the news. I kept waiting for the book to take me somewhere those accounts couldn't.
It never did.
June 16, 2026
It’s a good book, well written, the audio was great, the subject very interesting. But I had to put it down at 50% because the material is just heart wrenching and I had enough.
June 14, 2026
Really enjoyed this book. The author did an excellent job of humanizing both sides of romance scams.
June 17, 2026
the first sentence of the author's note talked about how this was a failed attempt at writing a book about loneliness... and the lack of focus/direction unfortunately shows a bit. I almost wish the story had opened/been framed through the lens of the journey we get in the authors note. instead, it meanders a bit — from the author's personal experience/quest to find his mother's scammer (which truly does not happen at all), to loneliness, to the history of nigeria, to the history of scamming...
definitely interesting but I just thought it could've been a lot stronger with a little more direction
definitely interesting but I just thought it could've been a lot stronger with a little more direction
July 23, 2026
I picked up The Yahoo Boys expecting to learn about online scams, but I ended up with a much bigger conversation about poverty, opportunity, and the choices people make when they feel like they have none. I appreciated that the author didn’t excuse the harm these scams cause, but also didn’t reduce the Yahoo boys to one-dimensional villains, giving readers a perspective we don’t often hear. It’s one of those books that leaves you sitting with uncomfortable truths because the suffering on both sides is real. I’d give it 3.5–4 stars for challenging my assumptions and reminding me that understanding someone’s circumstances isn’t the same as justifying their actions.
June 13, 2026
Katy Perry Catfish episode on steroids
July 7, 2026
4.5 stars
I expected this book to be a thrilling look into an international scam and was disappointed with the ordinariness of the scammers and the crimes. But as the book moved along I was taken in by the writing and the themes of loneliness and simple desires. As with any human story it's all very complicated and the author presented the scammers and victims in such interesting ways. Both groups seemed so pathetic. It's easy enough to feel sympathy for the victims but as loathsome as some of the scammers were they were pitiable in many ways themselves. So this book is really a study of human misery, not a page turning crime caper, and I'm really happy it worked out that way.
The reading experience reminded me of Lost At Sea: good story, captivating writing.
I expected this book to be a thrilling look into an international scam and was disappointed with the ordinariness of the scammers and the crimes. But as the book moved along I was taken in by the writing and the themes of loneliness and simple desires. As with any human story it's all very complicated and the author presented the scammers and victims in such interesting ways. Both groups seemed so pathetic. It's easy enough to feel sympathy for the victims but as loathsome as some of the scammers were they were pitiable in many ways themselves. So this book is really a study of human misery, not a page turning crime caper, and I'm really happy it worked out that way.
The reading experience reminded me of Lost At Sea: good story, captivating writing.
July 12, 2026
I got this pushed in my face continuously by NYT until I finally relented and I’m so glad I did. This was such a fascinating but depressing read. No one is a winner here. These Nigerian scammer kids are simultaneously trying to stay alive/get a better life while being sucked into this show-off culture that keeps them down. The ones being scammed are living this lonely existing that while some even figure out it’s not real but continue on to have someone to speak to. It was all together a super interesting read and the author does a great job with his thorough research. The writing style was great and I loved how we followed several different storylines. There is a rather shocking ending and it really brought the whole book together. Absolutely loved it.
August 3, 2026
Listened via audiobook
Just a fascinating deep dive into the life of “ yahoo boys”, the scammers in Nigeria who make a living off of pretending to be someone they aren’t in order to solicit money. My favorite parts of the book were when we got a deeper look into how these yahoo boys are able to justify scamming often older and naïve adults, as well as getting a deeper dive into how they make their money(via gift cards they sell often to Chinese gamers who are trying to bypass China’s Web restrictions), and hearing about how these scammed adults move forward.
Ranked this a five because I would absolutely recommend anyone to read, although at points it made me feel so so so so sad
Just a fascinating deep dive into the life of “ yahoo boys”, the scammers in Nigeria who make a living off of pretending to be someone they aren’t in order to solicit money. My favorite parts of the book were when we got a deeper look into how these yahoo boys are able to justify scamming often older and naïve adults, as well as getting a deeper dive into how they make their money(via gift cards they sell often to Chinese gamers who are trying to bypass China’s Web restrictions), and hearing about how these scammed adults move forward.
Ranked this a five because I would absolutely recommend anyone to read, although at points it made me feel so so so so sad
July 27, 2026
4.5 Easy to read, and I appreciate the author’s honesty when sharing his own thoughts and impressions. In Chinese we say Whoever is pitiful must have a cause to be despised， 可怜人必有可恨之处. This book shows these both sides of the yahoo boys, and a bit of the systematic issues rooted in the Nigerian society.
July 11, 2026
The YAHOO BOYS is one of those books that stays with you long after you've finished it.
I expected a book about online scams, but it turned out to be so much more.
Carlos Barragan spends time with the scammers, trying to understand how poverty, hopelessness, and circumstances led many of them down that path.
What struck me most was how human everyone felt in the story - both the victims and the scammers.
Without ever excusing the deception, he explores the complexities behind it, making it impossible to see the story in simple black and white.
It's an extremely thought provoking book that makes you think about loneliness, desperation, and the choices people make when they feel they have no better option. It made me think about how easily we judge people without understanding their story.
One of the best works of non fiction I've read!
I expected a book about online scams, but it turned out to be so much more.
Carlos Barragan spends time with the scammers, trying to understand how poverty, hopelessness, and circumstances led many of them down that path.
What struck me most was how human everyone felt in the story - both the victims and the scammers.
Without ever excusing the deception, he explores the complexities behind it, making it impossible to see the story in simple black and white.
It's an extremely thought provoking book that makes you think about loneliness, desperation, and the choices people make when they feel they have no better option. It made me think about how easily we judge people without understanding their story.
One of the best works of non fiction I've read!
June 28, 2026
Highly recommend! Compassionate and honest reckoning of all parties in romance scams that is ultimately an examination of loneliness and extreme poverty. Excellent on audio. Very very upsetting at points.
June 22, 2026
Nuanced and compassionate narrative journalism about western loneliness, Nigerian poverty, American tech and government corruption. I’m glad this humanizes all involved but it’s absolutely gut wrenching 💔
Read
July 11, 2026This year is the year I told myself I need to read more non fiction. I always aim to be a well read girlie and I believe that includes reading non fiction. I can’t be out here being the world’s greatest hater without staying informed. So when I heard about this book that took a in-depth look into African romance scammers, I knew this one was for me. I finished the audiobook in 2 days because I couldn’t stop listening. It humanized the “scammers” and I learned a lot about the economic hardships taking place in Legos and Nigeria. I think this one really surprised me with how I could feel sympathy and still disgust at people scamming such unassuming victims. Just know if someone says they’re a famous person and need you to send them gift cards/ crypto, THEY’RE SCAMMING YA!
July 10, 2026
What a complete banger of a book! The author is a young Spanish journalist who travels to Lagos, Nigeria to try and track down the man who is love scamming his mother. What begins as a book about loneliness morphs into a complete deep-dive into the world of young Nigerian man working as “yahoo boys”, (because they used to scam with yahoo email addresses) scamming lonely Western women and men.
What struck me the most was the author’s deep, complex empathy, his ability to understand the motivations of the yahoo boys while simultaneously acknowledging the immense harm they were causing strangers on the other side of the world. I often think about the one dimensional and often condescending narrative we have of people who scam (evil, manipulative) and those who fall for scams (stupid, naive). I was famously propositioned into a pseudo spiritual feminist pyramid scheme when I lived in Argentina (google telar de sueños), and I realized the economic conditions were so awful at the time maybe it was actually more possible as someone with little education to make some money in a pyramid scheme than by working. Also, the group did give some of the women I met real, tangible, community. The author discusses the difficulty of life in Lagos with massive inflation and inequality, documenting boys living in poverty with have few other ways to make money. The boys justify the scamming to themselves by bringing up global inequality tied to the slave trade and also that they are in a way providing a service to the people they are scamming, spending hours and drug induced sleepless nights chatting with them and listening to them. But it gets complicated and dark quickly, with teenagers committing suicide with scammers threatening to blackmail them and
What really moved me was how this Spanish man connected so deeply with the yahoo boys and their victims with over four years of reporting on this story with little funding. He even traveled to Kentucky to track down a scamming victim, which ironically became the only time in the process of the book he feared for his own life. The authors note at the end is a complete must read to understand the book and his dedication to telling the is story. He makes it personal without centering himself, hyper specific and simultaneously highly relatable. In a way, the random scammer in Nigeria that targeted a lonely single mother in Spain and connected the author to the story is a painful but also beautiful result of the hyper globalizing forces of the internet.
For me, the most powerful part by far was the section on the one yahoo girl he found, Miracle. Miracle’s life was the story of one incomprehensible trauma after another, and her scam was one of the most twisted and sophisticated of all: she was running an adoption scam, posting pictures of fake babies and targeting desperate Westerners willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the promise of a child of their own. Her scamming also originated from her own loneliness, following the death of her mother. I wonder if the “loneliness epidemic” is really a Western phenomena or if we just focus on it when it isn’t also intertwined with poverty, hunger, and other issues that seem more pressing.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the reader was absolutely amazing also, completely recommend! Also in general this book is a great reminder to text/call the potentially lonely people in our lives more!
What struck me the most was the author’s deep, complex empathy, his ability to understand the motivations of the yahoo boys while simultaneously acknowledging the immense harm they were causing strangers on the other side of the world. I often think about the one dimensional and often condescending narrative we have of people who scam (evil, manipulative) and those who fall for scams (stupid, naive). I was famously propositioned into a pseudo spiritual feminist pyramid scheme when I lived in Argentina (google telar de sueños), and I realized the economic conditions were so awful at the time maybe it was actually more possible as someone with little education to make some money in a pyramid scheme than by working. Also, the group did give some of the women I met real, tangible, community. The author discusses the difficulty of life in Lagos with massive inflation and inequality, documenting boys living in poverty with have few other ways to make money. The boys justify the scamming to themselves by bringing up global inequality tied to the slave trade and also that they are in a way providing a service to the people they are scamming, spending hours and drug induced sleepless nights chatting with them and listening to them. But it gets complicated and dark quickly, with teenagers committing suicide with scammers threatening to blackmail them and
What really moved me was how this Spanish man connected so deeply with the yahoo boys and their victims with over four years of reporting on this story with little funding. He even traveled to Kentucky to track down a scamming victim, which ironically became the only time in the process of the book he feared for his own life. The authors note at the end is a complete must read to understand the book and his dedication to telling the is story. He makes it personal without centering himself, hyper specific and simultaneously highly relatable. In a way, the random scammer in Nigeria that targeted a lonely single mother in Spain and connected the author to the story is a painful but also beautiful result of the hyper globalizing forces of the internet.
For me, the most powerful part by far was the section on the one yahoo girl he found, Miracle. Miracle’s life was the story of one incomprehensible trauma after another, and her scam was one of the most twisted and sophisticated of all: she was running an adoption scam, posting pictures of fake babies and targeting desperate Westerners willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the promise of a child of their own. Her scamming also originated from her own loneliness, following the death of her mother. I wonder if the “loneliness epidemic” is really a Western phenomena or if we just focus on it when it isn’t also intertwined with poverty, hunger, and other issues that seem more pressing.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the reader was absolutely amazing also, completely recommend! Also in general this book is a great reminder to text/call the potentially lonely people in our lives more!
July 29, 2026
If you think you can guess what’s behind the rise of Nigeria’s “love scammers,” called Yahoo Boys locally, you’re probably wrong.
Having watched a lot of “Tinder Swindler” type docs, I expected this to be the Nigerian version of the same story. Instead, it’s a very thoughtful portrait of a problematic industry, told both through the experiences of real Yahoo Boys and through the lens of Nigerian history and the country’s more recent economic woes.
The individual Yahoo Boys’ arcs did start to blur together and feel repetitive, which is why it’s not a 5-star read for me. However, I’m really glad I read this.
PS: The ending shocked me. I don’t want to spoil it, but the next iteration of online scammers was far darker than I could have ever imagined.
Having watched a lot of “Tinder Swindler” type docs, I expected this to be the Nigerian version of the same story. Instead, it’s a very thoughtful portrait of a problematic industry, told both through the experiences of real Yahoo Boys and through the lens of Nigerian history and the country’s more recent economic woes.
The individual Yahoo Boys’ arcs did start to blur together and feel repetitive, which is why it’s not a 5-star read for me. However, I’m really glad I read this.
PS: The ending shocked me. I don’t want to spoil it, but the next iteration of online scammers was far darker than I could have ever imagined.
Read
July 25, 2026Emotionally gripping and ultimately heartbreaking for both the scammers and the scammed. The author had a humanizing approach to the situation though I wish he said the word “capitalism” when talking about the isolation that drives such behavior on the part of the scammed. The Yoruba names and culture were so heartening and it sparked nice conversations with my father. I liked the context of where the yahoo boys came from within larger issues of British imperialism and the oil boom.
July 21, 2026
"The Yahoo Boys" is one of the strongest examples of investigative nonfiction I have read in a while.
Carlos Barragán takes a topic many people think they understand, romance scams, and reveals how much more complex the reality is.
This is well beyond a simple story of cruel scammers and gullible victims. Barragán looks closely at the ecosystem that makes these scams possible: Nigerian history and culture, poverty, peer pressure, drugs, masculinity, technology, global inequality, and Western loneliness.
He also writes with real compassion for victims, showing how scammers exploit not stupidity, but the very human desire to be seen, chosen, and consistently cared for.
What impressed me most was the depth of the reporting.
Barragán does not write from a distance. He follows people, builds connections, asks hard questions, and sits with uncomfortable contradictions.
The result is a book that is humane without losing moral clarity.
The harm these scams cause is real and devastating, but the people involved are not flattened into easy categories.
I found myself thinking this would make an incredible text for a special topics criminology course. It raises rich questions about victimology, cybercrime, research methods, globalization, rational choice, strain, and the commodification of human connection.
The most unexpected insight may be that scammers are not the only ones profiting from loneliness.
In a world where attention is fractured and human connection is increasingly monetized, the offer of consistent, undivided attention can become dangerously seductive.
An excellent read.
Carlos Barragán takes a topic many people think they understand, romance scams, and reveals how much more complex the reality is.
This is well beyond a simple story of cruel scammers and gullible victims. Barragán looks closely at the ecosystem that makes these scams possible: Nigerian history and culture, poverty, peer pressure, drugs, masculinity, technology, global inequality, and Western loneliness.
He also writes with real compassion for victims, showing how scammers exploit not stupidity, but the very human desire to be seen, chosen, and consistently cared for.
What impressed me most was the depth of the reporting.
Barragán does not write from a distance. He follows people, builds connections, asks hard questions, and sits with uncomfortable contradictions.
The result is a book that is humane without losing moral clarity.
The harm these scams cause is real and devastating, but the people involved are not flattened into easy categories.
I found myself thinking this would make an incredible text for a special topics criminology course. It raises rich questions about victimology, cybercrime, research methods, globalization, rational choice, strain, and the commodification of human connection.
The most unexpected insight may be that scammers are not the only ones profiting from loneliness.
In a world where attention is fractured and human connection is increasingly monetized, the offer of consistent, undivided attention can become dangerously seductive.
An excellent read.
July 21, 2026
A fascinating look at the lives of four yahoo boys at various stages of their descent. I laughed and cried for these tragic characters. The author does an excellent job of making you sympathise for both the scammed and the scammer. At the end of the day, we’re all alone doing our best to get by. Some do it at the cost of their morality, others at the cost of their livelihoods. Moral of the story? Hope is a powerful intoxicant.
July 25, 2026
Honestly one of the best books I have read in a very long time. Extremely interesting, showing both sides of a very complex issue and incredibly entertaining. Cannot recommend it enough.
July 20, 2026
LOVE! This was so interesting as a long time 90 Day Fiancé fan. There are always so many Nigerians on that show dating Americans, and while some of them may have good intentions, it’s so obvious that most of them are trying to get money or a visa.
This book dives deep into why it’s common in Nigeria for young men to fall into romance scamming. Carlos went to the source and got to know the intimate details of how they trick their targets.
Fascinating read.
This book dives deep into why it’s common in Nigeria for young men to fall into romance scamming. Carlos went to the source and got to know the intimate details of how they trick their targets.
Fascinating read.
July 8, 2026
2.5 stars.
In 2026, almost all of us know someone who has been scammed, or nearly scammed, out of money, and the author’s family is no exception. His own mother became a victim of a romance scam. (Full disclosure: I didn’t even know that’s what these scams were called). The Yahoo Boys scratches the surface of romance scammers and modern, poverty-stricken Nigeria, but I found myself wanting more depth, more context, and in a more organized manner.
Nathan Luwa does a great job narrating the book.
In 2026, almost all of us know someone who has been scammed, or nearly scammed, out of money, and the author’s family is no exception. His own mother became a victim of a romance scam. (Full disclosure: I didn’t even know that’s what these scams were called). The Yahoo Boys scratches the surface of romance scammers and modern, poverty-stricken Nigeria, but I found myself wanting more depth, more context, and in a more organized manner.
Nathan Luwa does a great job narrating the book.
June 28, 2026
Ranks among the best books I have read
July 2, 2026
Really engaging. I am always drawn to scammer stories and this one is a bit different by following the actual scammers themselves, including their daily lives and what draws them to do something as horrible as a romance scam. The author is Spanish and he comes at this story as a journalist with some experience (his mother was scammed during COVID). Barragán follows a few “Yahoo boys” in Nigeria near Lagos as they are pressured by inflation/poverty, lack of resources/schooling, and a promise of quick cash. They follow scripts, impersonate American soldiers, WWE stars, and beautiful lonely single moms. There are some real “omg” moments that would honestly make a good Netflix documentary. Barragán reports in a way that does not excuse their despicable actions but gives you bigger context for why people scam. It’s a sad story overall and gives insight to how our global economy and epidemic of loneliness collide. I wish there was a bit more of the history of scams and/or deeper look into colonialism’s effects on scams. I also wish we learned more about the victims, but understand why this route was taken.
July 13, 2026
The Yahoo Boys is a deep dive into the hidden world of individuals who scam people online for money. After the author’s mom fell victim to a online romance scam, he became determined to find the individual who targeted her. This led to a journey to Nigeria to understand the motivations and lives of the people who initiate these scams.
Throughout the book, the author interviews numerous Nigerian scammers, who provide firsthand insights into why they became Yahoo Boys. It is a deeply compelling premise, and the journalism is undeniably well done. However, as the story progresses, some parts become highly repetitive, causing the story to lose its initial momentum, making it easy to lose interest before the end.
The Verdict:
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Buy/Borrow/Skip- Borrow the story is interesting especially the first hand accounts of why these individuals choose to scam people but it’s slow moving and repetitive at times
Read if you like: cyber-scam stories, investigative journalism and the psychology behind why people scam and those who fall for scams
Throughout the book, the author interviews numerous Nigerian scammers, who provide firsthand insights into why they became Yahoo Boys. It is a deeply compelling premise, and the journalism is undeniably well done. However, as the story progresses, some parts become highly repetitive, causing the story to lose its initial momentum, making it easy to lose interest before the end.
The Verdict:
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Buy/Borrow/Skip- Borrow the story is interesting especially the first hand accounts of why these individuals choose to scam people but it’s slow moving and repetitive at times
Read if you like: cyber-scam stories, investigative journalism and the psychology behind why people scam and those who fall for scams
July 29, 2026
The topic of this book is important to be aware of but was hard to fully engage with for me. Like many others, I don't think I would fall prey to a scam. But then, who does! It is difficult to feel compassion for the people who participate in this type of crime. They cause real harm, both financially and emotionally, to their victims. It was disappointing to learn that the scammers were supporting their own drug use or showy lifestyle rather than supporting a family that is struggling for food every day. The take home message of this book is to be cautious. Be suspicious if you feel your family members or friends are developing online relationships that lead to financial gifts of cryto, gift cards, etc.
July 28, 2026
This is not a book to enjoy but rather to inform. It tells the true story of young boys in Nigeria who scam men and women in the US and other parts of the world. The boys are young, 16 and sometimes younger, yet they have gained an understanding of how lonely people will send them gift cards and money if they pay attention to them and make them feel special. It is a sad tale that the Nigerian boys have no other way to make money and sad that the lonely people are so desperate they will send money to complete strangers even when told by their families that they are being scammed.
June 29, 2026
This was fascinating- heartbreaking and compassionate. Audiobook narration is excellent.
July 15, 2026
five outstanding stars - incredible journalism and storytelling, a perspective (i.e., real lives!) not included in news stories on romance scams. highly recommend reading + sharing.
August 8, 2026
Much to think about
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