Nairalanders, I just thought I'd post this up here for you guys to make up your minds.

For the past few months, there have been all sorts of "agents" springing up here with alarming regularity.
They range from those who profess to be able to get you cheap tickets, invitation letters, bank statements, credit cards, voluntary work abroad, VISA's, accommodation etc.

Now, the ALL the above can be done by yourself, without the need for an "agent" to fleece you of your hard earned.

1) Cheap tickets: You can Google these yourself, there's a wide array of reputable Travel Agents to choose from online, with secure payment options / means.

2) Invitation letters: Now, there's no such thing as an "agent" to get you these, this is something you get from whoever you're going to stay with in your destination country, or via a legitimate sponsor. Any "agent" professing to get you this is a thief.

3) Bank statements: Again, no "agents" are required to obtain these - if you're legitimate in your intentions, your sponsor, or company you work for may be able to provide this, and if you have your own bank statement, it's a help.

4) Credit cards: I believe pre-loaded credit cards are available in Nigeria, and don't require credit checks. These are available to all aged 16 and above, and are not hard to obtain. "Agents" offering to get these on your behalf, hmm. Need I say more?

5) Voluntary work abroad: These are usually advertised online, or in your local papers. Voluntary work can also be as a result of an agreement between your employer, and a foreign company, in such cases, things will be easier, as they'll verify you, and act as your sponsor. There are usually status restrictions, like visa, educational or others attached, that NO "agent" can get round. Do your homework, and keep your money where it belongs - in your wallet / purse!

6) VISA!!: Obtaining a visa is not down to an "agent", but more to do with you the applicant. There are certain criteria that are looked at, and you could pay an "agent" as much as you like, it won't make the acquisition of a visa any closer, or easier. Ask yourself, if these "agents" were that good, what are they doing in some cyber cafe sending out all manner of adverts / promises they can't keep! They're fraudulent! If visa's grew on trees, they would be out of the country too, and wouldn't feed on the misery of trusting, desperate Africans.

7) Accommodation: Again, accommodation is something you can sort out yourself, as long as you're not the lazy type. These "agents" that promise the earth, are no more than middle men / touts, who obviously do their homework, by scouring the 'net, then "selling" hastily put together packages. Information is free, in this day and age of internet. Don't get caught out!!

Scammers "agents" are easy to spot:

They usually have unregistered pre-pay cellphones. An employee working for a genuine travel Agency will be able to supply a fixed landline number, physical address, and a dedicated email address. As part of your research, if you do choose to use an intermediary to obtain tickets, please verify the address given - it could well be a real business premises, on the other hand, it could be someone's room in a seedy area of *****. Free email addresses like "Yahoo!", "Gmail", "MSN", "Hotmail" etc should be viewed with initial suspicion. These email addresses can be changed at the drop of a hat, same goes for pre-paid cellphone numbers.

"Agents" who have multiple cellphone numbers, often 3 or 4 should be given a wide berth. Once your money's been taken, these numbers suddenly become mysteriously "unavailable". 

Some may try to appease your concerns by saying "no money up front, all we need is a copy of the bio-data page of your passport, bank statement, birth certificate etc. It's a ruse! You could lose more than what's in your bank account - your identity. 

Most "agents" on here tend to have a loyal "satisfied customer", always trailing them on the boards, saying how happy they are with the service they received. These "satisfied customers" are none other than the "agents" themselves! Typically, they're so brain-dead, they often forget to sign out, and sign back in with their "other self", and begin to contradict themselves!  Often, the "satisfied customer" will tell the "agent" to call him to discuss a visa for his "sister", or to extend the "visa you helped me get", and leave a cellphone number, that the "agent" has used on here previously! 

It's so funny to see, but no laughing matter for those that do get caught, and lose their money. 

If something's too good to be true, it generally is! Nigerians are generally very sharp and streetwise, why then are they often victims of fraudulent "agents"? The answer lies in them - too lazy to do their own research, or too desperate to get out of Nigeria, to enter another country, even if it was Afghanistan or Iraq.

Seun / moderator - is it possible to make this a sticky? I think it'll be of great benefit to some of our trusting brothers and sisters. And, it'll also go a long way to discouraging the ever present predators.

DeltaVAG^TM

Una talk well

Well said.

Well said siena

Thanks for the info.

Kindly report any suspicious post to d moderators so that they can be taken down. Thanks

^^^ Sure, will do. Any chance of this being "stickied?"


DeltaVAG^TM

@poster, thats true!

Thanks siena for the insight. can you shed more light on mail as these two below i got from my mail box

Dear Friend,
My name is Senpreneur Olasunkanmi Saliu (a.k.a Ola Computer) your friend at  nairaland.com with the username: infogiver.
I was one of the attendees of the all-expense-paid Scholarship in the “Basic Certificate Course in Entrepreneur” in August last year www.sen2020.com?olacomputer  That is why I addressed myself as a Senpreneur.
During the programme, we were taught how to do business by the book and with the fear of God. That is to say, to be successful in any business, you need to have integrity, be honest and also have the fear of God in you.
Enough of all the stories. I have an information for you but I would like to know if you will be interested or not by answering the question. The question is this, “Would you like to know how to browse the internet (for) 24hrs with N500 only and make millions connecting other people”?
If you answer yes to the above question, then to download a free report on how it works and how you can make money with it, then click on the link below:

http://www.broadbandinternetbrowsing.com

                                      OR

http://www.softpay.org/shop.htm        and click the e-cover

I received a powerful testimony from someone that download the report, he said - Subject: You make me rich overnight.
He continued by saying - I made 90,000 naira the first day I connect my Internet browser. I collected 15,000 naira each from six people to connect them,
If you've not click on the clink above, click now to download your own copy of the free report and read the testimony yourself.
The link again is:

                 http://www.broadbandinternetbrowsing.com

                                                  OR

     http://www.softpay.org/shop.htm        and click the e-cover

To your online success.
Your friend,

Senpreneur Olasunkanmi SALIU

(a.k.a Ola Computer)

08068303060
NB: Your New Year Gift is an e-book titled “How to Build Profitable Websites Fast! The Best Strategies for Making Money Online Quickly by Joel Comm currently selling @ $47
The e-book is attached to this mail. To download it, click on the file name “BuildAWebsiteFast.pdf”


                                                                         AND ALSO THIS

Hello Dear,
How are you today i hope you are fine. my name is miss jennifer,
iam a yung lady i saw your profile today at(www.nairaland.com)
and i became intrested in you,i will also like to know you  more,
I hope you will be the true loving, honest, trutfull,
God faring,trustworld,sincere, and caring man,
that I have been looking for,
And I have something special to tell you about myself,
So please reply me now so that I will send you my  picture and
tell you what i want to tell you about my self.
God bless you.
Yours sincerely jennifer.

The Bank phb recruitment blog is " eservices.bankphb.com/recruiter/" It ends on the 9th of febuary 2009.

Some people will also use this thread as an advert with their post, Nigerians

9ja Visa agents are 419.

HAH:

Thanks siena for the insight. can you shed more light on mail as these two below i got from my mail box

Dear Friend,
My name is Senpreneur Olasunkanmi Saliu (a.k.a Ola Computer) your friend at nairaland.com with the username: infogiver.
I was one of the attendees of the all-expense-paid Scholarship in the “Basic Certificate Course in Entrepreneur” in August last year www.sen2020.com?olacomputer That is why I addressed myself as a Senpreneur.
During the programme, we were taught how to do business by the book and with the fear of God. That is to say, to be successful in any business, you need to have integrity, be honest and also have the fear of God in you.
Enough of all the stories. I have an information for you but I would like to know if you will be interested or not by answering the question. The question is this, “Would you like to know how to browse the internet (for) 24hrs with N500 only and make millions connecting other people”?
If you answer yes to the above question, then to download a free report on how it works and how you can make money with it, then click on the link below:

http://www.broadbandinternetbrowsing.com

OR

http://www.softpay.org/shop.htm and click the e-cover

I received a powerful testimony from someone that download the report, he said - Subject: You make me rich overnight.
He continued by saying - I made 90,000 naira the first day I connect my Internet browser. I collected 15,000 naira each from six people to connect them,
If you've not click on the clink above, click now to download your own copy of the free report and read the testimony yourself.
The link again is:

http://www.broadbandinternetbrowsing.com

OR

http://www.softpay.org/shop.htm and click the e-cover

To your online success.
Your friend,

Senpreneur Olasunkanmi SALIU

(a.k.a Ola Computer)

08068303060
NB: Your New Year Gift is an e-book titled “How to Build Profitable Websites Fast! The Best Strategies for Making Money Online Quickly by Joel Comm currently selling @ $47
The e-book is attached to this mail. To download it, click on the file name “BuildAWebsiteFast.pdf”


AND ALSO THIS

Hello Dear,
How are you today i hope you are fine. my name is miss jennifer,
iam a yung lady i saw your profile today at(www.nairaland.com)
and i became intrested in you,i will also like to know you more,
I hope you will be the true loving, honest, trutfull,
God faring,trustworld,sincere, and caring man,
that I have been looking for,
And I have something special to tell you about myself,
So please reply me now so that I will send you my picture and
tell you what i want to tell you about my self.
God bless you.
Yours sincerely jennifer.

haven gone through your post, i sensed rat on the wardrobe, run! run!! run!!!. I had received a similar writeup from someone (young lady who has gone through my nairaland profile) which i discarded without waiting time. It is high time those hoodlums should be traced and get them apprehended. they are becoming threats to nairaland's member. nonsence

Good one !

Z400,
The BankPHB website says there are no current vacancies!!!!

nice one.

Nairalanders be alert

@Siena,
The piece is a very good one. And am happy that you are still much around here on NL. Thanks so much,



@at all,

Run from all these fake and self acclaimed 'agent' .There is a friend on mine that lose 400,000 naira to one agent at Ibadan last year, i warned him but he WANTS AUTOMATIC VISA , Lol, they guy chop im money,

So if we didnt see, people wont be shouting, if your can have access to this post then there is no info you cant get, beware.

Up close with Siena here

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-191518.2112.html

^^^ Naomi, you're a nutter!

Start a fresh thread, rather than advertise within this one - you'll stand a better chance of success that way.

Please don't make excuses for those that commit fraud - citing poverty and economic hardship as a valid reason to rip other honest folk off is wrong.
And no, I've never been defrauded "I too get open eye to fall mugu o!" Abi you tink say crase don catch me, eh?

DeltaVAG^TM

Sienna,

You took the words out of my month, you are on point my dear brother.
Crime never pays, 419 agent do you hear me, God will never let you suceed.

Well Said,

Everyone humming about well said and turning around to spam the board with their other IDs. NL is too funny!

chika98:

Everyone humming about well said and turning around to spam the board with their other IDs. NL is too funny!

Hahahaha!

Now that's funny.

DeltaVAG^TM

z400:

The Bank phb recruitment blog is " eservices.bankphb.com/recruiter/" It ends on the 9th of febuary 2009.

What on earth are you babbling on about now??

What's this random post of yours got to do with this thread?

DeltaVAG^TM

Oh shucks. . .

there is this agency in SA, that i tried using for a Uk Visa,

i hope them no go chop my money oooh!

Gamine:

Oh shucks. . .

there is this agency in SA, that i tried using for a Uk Visa,

i hope them no go chop my money oooh!

Very unlikely they're fakes, if they have at least a physical shop, or even just an online only, with fixed landlines, and are registered as a legitimate business.
It's the forum cruisers you have to be wary of.

DeltaVAG^TM

Most agents here are crooks.Even some that does not ask of deposit when you give them your passport they come up with some kind of stupid excuse for you to commit yourself with cash, Pls Nland be very careful with any agents you deal with here.Run a background check on them first.

[b]I think people still have a chance to research and supply materials on their own during visa applications like it was said in the begining of this forum .I will only advice that, If u want a students visa or a summer placement visa, it´s advicable to try the new EU countries (except malta and cyprus) it will also be wise to seek from bulgaria and romania as they just opened up more for international students while you also can easily switch to any other EU country after some time depending on your programme and how you elect it. The new schengen countries (except malta and cyprus) are also easier than the older ones cos they have various visa types and make it easier for you to go into any of the older ones you might have had in mind later. It should be noted that there is no boarder control within these schengen countries even if you come by flight through other schengen countries. I don´t know how else I can help other than posting this in addition to the helpful contributions all of you have made. Just ask any confusing questions you might have and I will follow up with a reply.[/b]

wurd!!

nice information siena,they are agent that are 419 even i will call them ole but not all some are real i mean good and not 419.let me tell you something you have your own specialty why others have there own too but what you are not good in it try give it to people that can do it or learn how to do it your self.it is an advice.i am an agent i can get your visa to any country and i have e-books that can teach you on how to get your visa your self

Most agents(if not all) on nland are fake, pls dont deal with them