My encounter with taxi 419ers.

As a Nigerian, you must know the slang 419 is used to refer to scammers and they have different methods of scamming people. Not now that the economy is currently so hard, everyone is looking for a means to survive the hardship not to mention the year is coming to an end, December, where everyone want to flex. The one I encountered today is the 419 that scam people using stories of stack of cash in the boot.  

 On my way to work, I boarded a taxi going to the same direction, "along" as they call it. A short distance from the bus stop, but it's not something you should trek when you are in a hurry but when exercising or taking a leisure walk. 3mins into the drive, it seemed the middle aged woman sitting by the other end of the door side wanted to drop off, so she gave the driver N200 note so the man can give her change. He pulled up by the road. I was just looking out of the window calculating how much time had past the resumption time, cause I was already running late. Next thing, the driver picked offense and started questioning her with cab-driver- with-attitude-voice, if the load abi bag in the boot, if it belongs to her. omo. I started paying attention, cause why did he even stop, when no one asked to drop, I was looking at both the driver and the woman. A man was sitting in the middle, then me by the other door, then one other man in the front seat, we all seem to be wondering what drama was about to start. she started explaining, driver cut her off, asking why she didn't drop off with the other two women that carried tomatoes, asking why she didn't tell him what she was carrying, talmabout he open the bag and saw D.O.L.L.A.R.S. that was it.

In my head, I was like hol- up, hol- up, wetin dey occur sef? Dollars ke...see this people oo.  Immediately, I reasoned this particular 419 format I used to hear in stories, of how people often get hypnotized with stories as this and they get trapped to bring money so that the dollars can be shared equally among everyone in the car,so its happening to me now live and direct...

I just zoned out and stopped listening, aggressively demanding the driver to either move or I come down. while the woman was busy trying to explain how the money got into her possession, saying it's her Oga's money, yen yen yen..I even heard her say he didn't want to marry.. Wo, I didn't want to hear again. The idiot driver was telling me to come down, just as I was opening the door, telling me to look for another cab, saying he wants to go and drop off the woman where he picked her up. Ndi oshi (thieves).. I thought, thanking God that I wasn't held at gun point or even a worst case scenario.

With the high rise of insecurity in the country and how hard the economy is, Thirsty scammers are everywhere looking for who to swindle. please try to be vigilant, cautious and prayerful so you won't fall victim.

See eh, Na God save me. 😁

©DeeOn