This is a great warning to everyone both foreign tourists and business visitors to Lagos, please under no circumstance should you change money from those who hang around the front of Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.


It was just like a dream to one of my friends who we met peradventure at the Lagos Airport Hotel on Saturday, 3 December, 2011.


For long time friends to meet after 20 years deserves celebration, so we made an appointment for 7.30 pm.


At 7:30 p.m we met at the reception of the hotel and we decided to cross the road to feel the pulse of Lagos just away from the comfort of our hotel rooms.


As we strolled outside the gate of the Airport hotel, Kunle realised that the few naira notes on him might not be enough for the evening fun.


As he muted the idea of changing a few foreign currency on him, I told him to let us go back into the hotel for the transaction because I remember that the management always warn guests not to transact business with those who hang on the road in front of the hotel.


But Kunle's response was that since he was changing a few pounds, he needs no fear of a little change that would go into the hands of these scoundrels.


I concurred with him.


As I was telling him the management's warning, a middle aged man appeared from a triangular round- about on the left of the hotel asking whether we wanted to change money.


We nodded in affirmation.


He then asked us to come close to the side of the Total Petrol Station.


We asked him how much is a pound to naira, he said N255, which I said should be N260.


He did not agree, but rather called one Alhaji who agreed to N260.


At this point, four of these scoundrels had surrounded us. One took a calculator and came to the conclusion that the 50 pounds would be N13,000.00. He brought out a bale of N500 naira notes, counted 25 notes and handed it over to Kunle who counted the money only to find out that it was less by one.


Angrily, I said, "You people have been dubbed fraudsters. That is why everyone has been warned not to transact business with you." We never knew we were in for a big surprise.


With apology, he got the money back, counted it and he found out that it was less by a note.


He offered apology again and added the less note, while one of them remarked that the man who counted the money is not good at mathematics.


We crossed the road to a supermarket opposite the hotel where Kunle wanted to pick some toiletries.


As he was about paying, he realised that the N13,000.00 was short of N5,000.00.


"We have been duped," Kunle exclaimed.


"What?" I asked. Then, the Hotel management's warning which I had earlier told Kunle popped up in my mind. But it was not the best of time to rehearse it."


We explained to the supermarket attendant what had happened to us and he reeled out examples of many incidences of such bizarre practices by the fraudsters who always hang around the entry of Lagos Airport Hotel as money changers.


He told us of a case of another victim who was duped the same way to the tune of sum N250,000.00. The guy, a military officer, came back and killed one of them.


We were cleverly duped. And many have been fleeced probably with diabolic means by these fraudsters hanging outside the entering gate of Lagos Airport Hotel.


Many are on their way to be duped by these scoundrels and you should not be among them.


However, will these people go on with this evil act with impunity?


Where is our law enforcement agencies? The police must rise to the occasion.


Once again, please, and please, never change money outside the vicinity of Lagos Airport Hotel.


A word is enough for the wise.

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/dec/7/600.html

I once fell a victim of those fraudsters too, back in 2009 (the pain's still fresh in my mind). Was duped to the tune of =N=80k after changing $1000 usd -- I almost cried that fateful day. Mine happened right infront of the Tantalizers fast-food restaurant at Allen junction. Didn't realize I'd been duped till I got into the bank to deposit the naira notes; at first I thot they used 'jazz' on me. The fraudsters had disappeared by the time I went back there, but right there and then I predicted that those boyz would one day mess with the wrong folks and be seriously dealt with.

This one is a normal occurence with those mallams. TĦey duped an aunt of about $3,500 of her business money, after she had counted several times with her counting machine. Only to get to the bank and realise she was shut of about N520,000 or there about.

She almost had a heart attack from that incident. She practically died and resurrected, when she realised her entire profit had gone to these fraudsters.

TĦey are very terrible people.