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There are some experiences that teach us life lessons in a hard way. Each time I reflect on my ugly experience with a scammer on Facebook, it hurts me so bad. I should have been more careful, but it's fine. I have learned to be very careful and always alert, because these scammers seem to be very smart in most cases. Beware of scammers; they are everywhere, and you wouldn't want to be their prey, would you?

![hacking-g20a302b22_1280.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/nkemakonam89/23yTZ5WudAGQvQP29JXqjJ6G8ziDG8kJqwkzuZwDdVzgcY4RTGQHgcFism2hV4CS75seV.png)
[Image source](https://pixabay.com/vectors/hacking-data-theft-online-fraud-6694207/)


It happened two years ago! One of my close friends' Facebook account was hacked, and I didn't know. She is a childhood friend in my home town, residing in rural areas. I guess she wasn't exposed enough to alert her Facebook friends about her hacked account. So the scammer who hacked her account chatted with me through Facebook Messenger. I guess he was smart enough to read our previous chat and initiate the chat using the last conversation he saw there. After some pleasantries, the hacker requested that I send her #20,000 (about $15) to complete her payment of goods in the market. I know about the corn business and the cashew nut business because my childhood friend does them, and this scammer mentioned them all. It was too real for me to detect that I wasn't chatting with my childhood friend.

I married before her, left her in the village and moved to the city. That was the first time she asked me for money since I left to the city, and I didn't want to say no to her.  She also promised to send the money back the same day after she finished her business for the day. I had only #12,000 in my naira bank account that day, so I told her I could only send her #10,000 for it while I used the remaining #2,000 to buy my baby's drugs. The scammer accepted and sent me an account number not bearing my friend's name. I asked, and he responded that the account number is for the seller of the corn 🌽, directly, and that I should just transfer money to the account instead of sending it to her. I did..hmmmm

After an hour, the scammer chatted me back, requesting that I send the remaining #2,000 in my account to him as he needed it urgently, and within a few hours when he gets home, he will send everything back to my account. He went further to request that I drop my account number immediately.

![thinking-gc6093e573_1920.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/nkemakonam89/23xLFYhzTCsG3LpHQ3swB35nWjmoxQQZTQ23gPFtdRNAmfSFDUbKAdbtomCTewvAd6obZ.jpg)
[Image source](https://pixabay.com/photos/thinking-person-person-thinking-2681494/)

This was when I had a rethink. How can a good friend of mine ask me to send her the remaining #2,000 in my account even after I tell her that my baby is sick and I will use the remaining money for his drugs? I know my friend very well; she can't be that greedy and selfish. I felt unusual... then I picked up my phone and called her to be sure she was the one who said such an inconsiderate word.

She was so cold hearing the story; she was never the chatter. She felt bad that the hacker was using her name to dupe people. I was pissed off myself. I should have called my friend before sending the first money. lots of regret and lessons. 

I chatted with the so-called scammer, threatening him to refund my money, but he blocked me on Facebook immediately.
Ever since that day, I have dared not show any act of kindness through online chat only. I will call to verify, and it has also made me more aware of scammers in all my online activities.

**Indeed, some experiences are life lessons.**
This is a writing contest from @inuke , to participate kindly click [here](https://ecency.com/hive-197685/@inuke/inuke-s-blog-writing-contest-d635f3214ee35).

*Thanks for reading my life story*.


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