Juju scams are scams that prey on the belief that non-material entities (Deities, Spirits of Ancestors, Angels/Demons) can affect or change the normal events of life, especially with regards to providing financial succor, improving luck, or mitigating adverse circumstances.
How it works
They mostly involve the scammers setting up in a remote village or town where they open up a shrine and one of them takes up the role of a “priest” or “babalawo” while the rest fish for targets using both physical and virtual means. Virtual tactics range from making claims on social media and social messaging apps about having powers to confer wealth or solve diverse problems to sending threatening text messages about doom and how the recipient needs to come for a consultation to avert the impending disaster. As always these scammers are refining their tactics but the working principle in these types of scams is their alleged power to alter the current situation to the benefit of their target.
In some cases, to prevent detection, they demand their intending victims not to disclose these interactions with friends or family as this might interfere with the efficacy of the charms or incur the wrath of the deity leading to death. Also, some of these scammers are skilled at illusions and the sleight of hand tricks, coupled with the help of accomplices giving false testimonies, this makes their racket look very convincing.
The end game is always about money, as victims will be asked to purchase items for spiritual cleansing or to bring certain amounts to ward off disaster or induce good fortune.
How to Protect Yourself
- Be wary of testimones about solutions to problems or fianacial windfall after visiting a shrine
- Do not visit shrines for healing, wealth or remediation of problems
- Disregard communications via text messages or messaging apps about prophecy, dreams, visions or divinations about you, do not respond
- Do not share personal information on social media or the internet, most especially about financial or health challenges
- Whenever you hear the word “wealth potion” know that it is an indication of a scam
Finally, Remember, there is no shrine or deity with the ability to make you rich.
Contributors:
- Badmus Anuoluwapo
- Egbedi Solomon
- Faith Adah