There is an old African proverb that says, "One bad nut among the good ones spoils the taste of all the good ones". This is to say that, although there are a lot of good people in the world, so are a few bad ones who have made it up in their minds to do bad things.
I was watching some videos on YouTube when the headline from Gossip 24 caught my attention. In that video, he explained how some wicked people from other countries, including some Ghanaians, dwelling in Ghana, used these social media platforms to deceive and kidnap three Senegalese and demanded a ransom from their parents. This is something that we must all be aware of. And today, I am going to share some of the schemes these people are using on social media platforms.
What Social Media Was Actually Meant to Do?
The people who developed social media platforms did it intending to connect people. Social media was actually created to bring friends, families, and humans together no matter how far apart they lived. These platforms were meant for idea sharing, entertainment, sharing of news, and helping people stay informed about the things happening around us in the world.
However, as with every good thing, there is a flip side. While social media brought millions of people together and strangers interacting on the posts of others, dishonest individuals have also taken advantage of others. As a matter of fact, this is why it is more important than ever for us to understand that although these platforms have a good side, they have a bad side too.
The Full Story Surrounding the Three Senegal Young Men
Information available is that a gentle young Senegalese by the name Sheikh Toure was sent to the Manhyia hospital by another guy who introduced himself to the nurses as Issah. He allegedly had told the nurses that he was the brother of Sheikh Toure. According to the alleged brother, Issah, at the hospital, Sheikh Toure had been involved in an accident.
According to the nurses at Manhyia Hospital, the young man, in the person of Sheikh Toure, had already passed on before he was even brought to the hospital. But according to the Ghana Police Service, the young man, Sheikh Toure, had left Senegal, that he was coming to play football in Ghana and then go to Morocco to join the international stage football teams and meet new investors.
How Did This Whole Thing Begin
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| Image of Sheikh, Momo and Bamba |
The three young men were part of a Senegal Football Academy. The football academy has two goalkeepers, namely, Bamba and Sheikh Toure. The two lived in the same town in Senegal and had a friend, the third person, who is by name, Momo. According to them, the three had the opportunity from a football club in Ghana called PAC Academy.
According to sources, the three young guys claimed that they received an offer from PAC Academy that they wanted some individuals to send them to Morocco as players, but then, the trials for this qualification will be played in Ghana. It was also said that the offer stated that the second phase of the trial will be played in Morocco and then the qualified players will be moved to Europe to join the international clubs.
Among the three individuals, it was Bamba who had first left Senegal for Ghana in the first week of October. Sources from Senegal also confirmed that upon arrival, Bamba had contacted Momo and informed him that the opportunity was great and asked him when he would also be available in Ghana to enjoy the benefit.
Already, Momo had made up his mind to make himself available to benefit from this opportunity, so he left Senegal for Ghana not long after Bamba had contacted him. After some days, Bamba had texted Sheikh Toure also, that the deal was a legit one, so he should come. Sheikh left for Ghana with his family, believing that he was coming to join a football academy since his two friends were already there.
Upon arrival, Sheikh Toure met his worst nightmares. He ended up in the hands of some bad people who had misled him. Those people, who under the guise of PAC Academy had called his family (mother), demanding an amount of CFA850,000, which is equivalent to 16,000 plus Ghanaian currency.
Upon receiving that message, it is confirmed that the mother of Sheikh Toure had gone to the family of Bamba and Momo in case they heard from their wards. Upon arrival, the parents of the two other players confirmed that, yes, they were also called by those people demanding ransom, but according to them, they couldn't meet their demands. Though Sheikh's mother was able to send foot CFA650,000 of the bills, her young son couldn't make it back to her.
See, dearest reader, these bad networks are using social media platforms to mislead a lot of people and we all have to be careful.
The Schemes They Use
- They come in the guise under names of reputable companies, faking to offer career opportunities to individuals.
- They promise to offer you a job that pays higher amounts of money in the name of some reputable companies.
- They pretend in the names of educational institutions with claims of offering scholarship opportunities to individuals.
- They share misleading links that lead to suspicious websites.
- They create fake documents in the name of companies to lure people into paying them money for opportunities.
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| Fake documents that they are creating that you should be aware of. |
One thing you should also be careful of is that, to make these things authentic and look original, they add government-trusted logos and signatures to make them look real. Be aware and do not be misled by these people.
How To Protect Yourself In The Social Media World
- Avoid sharing too much personal information, such as your home address, phone number, or school.
- When creating passwords, create unique and strong passwords combined with letters,, numbers and symbols.
- Do not respond to messages that offer you big opportunities without verifying them first or even the source it came from and its legitimacy.
- There are a lot of fake profiles on social media with misleading links. Be cautious of people who send you messages and offer you opportunities.
- Be careful when making posts, people can copy and share and spread misinformation without your consent.'
- If someone sends you messages that are inappropriate, block them right away without a second thought.
- Do not share your personal information, bank details, and the like on social media.
