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Category: Frauds → Romance & Relationship ScamsFraudsRomance & Relationship ScamsFriendship ScamsReading time: 7 minutes
Risk level: High
Target audience: WhatsApp users, social-media active people

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Meet Jamal

Jamal is a 26-year-old business student in Accra. One day, he gets a WhatsApp message from an unknown number: “Hi, sorry, wrong number. But hey, how’s your day going?” It’s a casual, friendly opening. Jamal responds: “Lol, all good. What’s up?” Thus begins a two-month friendship.

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What Happened

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Months 1-2: Building Friendship

The person on the other end (claiming to be “Zainab,” a female engineer based in the US) was friendly, funny, and genuinely interested in Jamal’s life. They chatted almost daily about everything—memes, work stress, family, relationships. Two months in, Zainab said: “You know, I’ve grown to really value our friendship. You’re such a positive person, and I trust you. I want to introduce you to something that’s changed my life.”

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The Investment Pitch

She explained a “private investment group” that shares high-return opportunities with trusted members. The current opportunity: a real estate tokenization project with projected 5–7% monthly returns. She offered to “sponsor” Jamal into the group. All he had to do was deposit the initial capital (₦500,000) and she would guide him. Jamal hesitated. But this was someone he’d been talking to for two months. She felt like a friend. He deposited ₦500,000.

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Months 3-4: Fake Returns

For two months, he received “returns”: ₦30,000–₦35,000 monthly. The “investment dashboard” looked professional.

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The Personal Emergency

Then Zainab said she had a personal emergency and needed help. Could Jamal loan her ₦700,000? She promised to pay it back in a month. Jamal sent it.

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The Final Request

A month later, she said: “I’m having trouble accessing my funds due to a banking issue. Can you help me transfer the ₦700,000 from your investment account to my personal account? It’s just a temporary move; I’ll send it right back to your investment.” Jamal did (from his investment account, not realizing this was a test of his willingness to move money without scrutiny). The money never came back. Zainab disappeared. Total loss: ₦1.2 million (₦500k initial + ₦700k “loan”).

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Where the Scammer Won

  • No physical contact required: Everything happened via text, making it scalable and low-risk for the scammer.
  • Months of bonding: By the time money was involved, Jamal felt like he had a real friend.
  • Gradual escalation: First a small investment (feels safe), then a “loan” (emotional appeal), then moving money (testing compliance).

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Red Flags (What Jamal Missed)

  • A friendship that starts with a “wrong number” and quickly becomes very close.
  • Someone you have never video-called or met in person suddenly offering investment access.
  • Requests for personal loans despite not being able to explain why.
  • Investment dashboards that show unusual consistency and are not independently verifiable.

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How Wrong Number Scams Work

Step 1: Send a “wrong number” message to random contacts. This feels innocent and creates an opening for conversation.
Step 2: Engage in friendly, daily conversations for weeks or months. Share personal details, build emotional connection.
Step 3: After trust is established, introduce an “investment opportunity” or “private group” with high returns.
Step 4: Request larger amounts—first as investment, then as “loans” or “emergency help.”
Step 5: Once maximum extraction is achieved, disappear. The victim realizes they never actually knew this person.

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Action Steps

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Prevention

Be skeptical of deep friendships that form entirely via text with strangers.
Do not loan money to people you have never met in person.
Verify investment opportunities independently.
If someone you’ve only texted asks for money, it’s almost certainly a scam.

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If You’re Already Involved

1

Stop Communicating

Do not respond to further messages.
2

Do Not Send More Money

Do not send any additional funds, regardless of promises.
3

Preserve Evidence

Screenshots of all conversations, transaction records.
4

Report to WhatsApp

Report the number to WhatsApp and block it.
5

Report to Authorities

Report to local cybercrime units and your bank.

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References

  1. FBI IC3 - Romance and friendship scams
  2. Global Anti-Scam Organization - Wrong number scam patterns