A Journalist Embedded With Nigeria's Online Romance Scammers, And Wrote A Book About It

Journalist Carlos Barragán embedded himself with a group of young online scammers in Lagos, Nigeria, and turned the experience into his first book, The Yahoo Boys; a live Q&A about the book is set for July 16.

A new book is pulling back the curtain on how online romance scams actually operate, after journalist and researcher Carlos Barragán spent time embedded with a group of young scammers in Lagos, Nigeria. The result, described as both darkly funny and deeply unsettling, traces how the internet has become fertile ground for elaborate heartbreak schemes.

Living Among The Scammers
Barragán, who works as a reporter and researcher for The New York Times based in Madrid, traveled to Lagos to embed himself directly with a group of young, desperate grifters running online romance scams. His firsthand account captures the day-to-day reality of the scam operations, from the emotional manipulation involved to the financial desperation driving the young men who run them.

From Newsroom To First Book
Before joining The New York Times, Barragán worked as a reporter at El Confidencial. He later earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. The resulting book, titled The Yahoo Boys, a reference to the term used for the young online scammers, marks his first published book.

A Live Discussion With Readers
To mark the book's release, a live question and answer session has been scheduled for July 16 at 12pm ET / 9am PT, where readers can put their questions to Barragán directly. Ahead of the event, readers are being invited to submit their questions in the comments section, with the discussion set to be moderated by journalist Kate Knibbs, who covers prediction markets, the future of media, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping the internet, and who also leads a recurring book discussion series.

The session will be streamed live, with a replay made available afterward for those unable to attend in person.

What this means for you
• For internet users: The book's firsthand account offers a rare look at how online romance scam networks recruit young people and manipulate victims emotionally, which can help readers spot warning signs before they lose money to similar schemes.

Questions & Answers

1. What is the book The Yahoo Boys about?
It documents an online romance scam network in Lagos, Nigeria, which Carlos Barragán observed firsthand after embedding himself with a group of young scammers.

2. Who is Carlos Barragán?
He is a reporter and researcher for The New York Times based in Madrid, and previously worked as a reporter at El Confidencial.

3. How did he research the book?
He traveled to Lagos, Nigeria, and embedded himself with a group of young, desperate grifters running online romance scams.

4. When is the live Q&A session about the book?
It is scheduled for July 16 at 12pm ET / 9am PT.

5. How can readers join the live session?
Readers can submit their questions in the comments section, and the session will be streamed live with a replay available afterward.

6. Who is moderating the discussion?
Journalist Kate Knibbs, who covers prediction markets, the future of media, and how AI is changing the internet, will moderate the discussion.

7. What does the term Yahoo Boys mean?
It refers to the young online scammers in Nigeria who run romance scam operations, and it is the term used as the book's title.

8. Is The Yahoo Boys Carlos Barragán's first book?
Yes, it is his first published book, written after he earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University.

https://trendkia.com/en/culture/nigeria-ke-nalaina-romansa-skaimarsa-ke-bicha-rahakara-eka-patrakara-ne-likhi-chaunkane-vali-kitaba-4735
TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.