Top 10 Countries With The Highest Rate of Scammers (2024)

This article list in detail the top countries with the highest number of scammers and there is a high likelihood of falling victim to one if you aren’t careful. It appears that scamming is a form of crime that actually pays these days. Honestly, being the target of a scam, fraud, or robbery is not at all pleasant. The sufferer may experience trauma on an emotional and mental level. In today’s environment, it’s extremely uncommon to meet someone who hasn’t fallen victim to a scam.

With today’s technology, robbing a bank or breaking into a house to steal and sell valuables no longer requires a weapon. Now they can enjoy the pleasure of doing things at home. The only thing you have to do is improve your computer literacy. Scammers used to operate physically before. They personally met with numerous individuals and using a variety of dubious techniques to defraud people of their money and possessions. This still plays a big role in the game in many countries, but it has completely transformed in others as society has shifted toward the digital sphere.

Over time, scamming has spread to be a worldwide issue. Because so much money is sent over the internet, be it via cryptocurrency, e-commerce, one of the scamming techniques, is a trillion dollar industry.

WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SCAMMERS WORLDWIDE?

Nigeria ranks as the country with the highest rate of scammers in the world this 2024. This is due to the increase in corrupt activities from the government, its agencies and even most of its citizens. Often called “yahoo yahoo”, Nigeria is also one the few countries where the risk of being scammed is high. The most frequent crime in Nigeria was credit card theft, which was followed by online dating, trust/grant fraud, forged documents, kidnapping and robbery to mention but a few.

TOP 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SCAMMERS (2024)

Here are the top 10 nations where scams are most likely to occur.

NIGERIA

Nigeria still leads as the country with the highest rate of scamming activities in the world. For a country where corruption is the order of the day, it is not surprising to see them top this list. In fact Nigeria ranks third as the most corrupt country worldwide. Stealing credit card details is the most frequent crime in Nigeria followed by fraudulent online dating, kidnapping and robberies. Do you know that the richest yahoo boys such as Hushpuppi is an excellent illustration of how effective Nigerian con artists are at defrauding people of their hard-earned money.

Nigerians are also becoming recognized brand name for participating in romance and dating frauds. Scammers use dating services, apps, and social media to prey on those hoping for love connections. They often pose as potential mates. To get people to give money, gifts, or personal information, they use emotional manipulation. Nigeria uses a single deception tactic to trick the credulous.

The advance-fee scam is a type of fraud and one of the most common confidence tricks. In most cases, the con artist will promise the victim a sizable percentage of a large quantity of money in exchange for a little upfront payment, which he or she will claim will be used to obtain the big sum.

If the victim pays, the fraudster either demands further money from them in a series of bills or just disappears. An advance fee scam occurs when a victim gives money to someone expecting to obtain something of greater value, such as a loan, contract, investment, or present, but instead only receives little to nothing in return.

Another possibility involves con artists telling you a lavishly manufactured tale about having enormous quantities of money in their banks or receiving a sizable bequest from their ancestors but being unable to access it because of local government regulations. They then ask for your bank information so they can send you money.

PAKISTAN

Another country where fraudsters are much is Pakistan. Scammers in Pakistan most frequently pose as military personnel on dating websites and social media. Scammers pose as Pakistani soldiers in uniform. Dating a soldier or conversing with military members, particularly a senior officer, is an honor. This explains why so many gullible people fall for scams. The public has been made aware by law enforcement officials to remain vigilant. It’s difficult to catch such con artists because the profile is a fake.

INDONESIA

Despite being one of the world’s most beautiful nations, Indonesia has a bad reputation because of con artists. You should be aware that you can fall victim to fraud if you ever decide to visit. Indonesia has long been a feasible market for e-commerce and online retail development due to its large youth population and strong economic growth. Along with the expansion of e-commerce, Indonesia sees an increase in the number of online shoppers every year.

FT Confidential Research estimates that in 2017, Indonesia added 11 million new online users, bringing the total to 35 million (compared to 24 million users in 2015). Despite being the cheapest and closest country to visit from India or Asia, Indonesia is one of the top 10 countries in the world for scamming people online, therefore it is not a safe spot to pay your bills online. Because of Indonesia’s sophisticated technology capabilities, scammers can con you without even knowing who you are personally. Since 2000, there have been more incidences of fraud, with syndicates cheating bank clients by smuggling data-capture software into bank systems.

BRAZIL

The “scam capital of the world” is a moniker for Brazil. Guys have seized the chance to defraud people, particularly guys of all ages, by using images of their attractive girls as fronts. BOLETO is the name of a payment method used in Brazil. You can print a piece of paper with a bar code using this system. This system was designed to combat the widespread fraud in the nation, but fraudsters were able to alter these bar codes and divert the money, rendering it useless. Scammers have earned almost $3.75 billion using this approach. For Brazilians, kidnapping and pickpocketing are also illegal ways to make money. These men abduct people in the area of foreign exchange institutions and demand ransom.

CHINA

It is not surprising that China is among the top 10 countries with the biggest scammers in light of its advanced technological infrastructure. When placing an order, consumers must pay a down payment to Chinese factories. The common structure requires 30% down and 70% paid in full prior to shipment. This deposit will be taken by a factory that is out to con you but won’t deliver. They’ll simply stop operating. It’s a significant sum for them if they can find enough international customers for the goods. This kind of scam is quite difficult to detect, which is why it works so well.

Selling phony goods is another fraud tactic, much as the current “what I ordered versus what I got” trend. Businesses market a product and provide an absurdly large discount that seems too good to be true. They demand full payment before shipping in exchange for this substantial discount. They deliver a different order than the one you placed online and then vanish. Sand in food containers, rotten frozen food that melts, and many other things are examples.

Phishing is a popular method of scamming used by Chinese con artists. The phrase “I’m your husband’s mistress” is used frequently. Women often don’t fool around with cheating husbands, so when they receive such links, they immediately click them. They are persuaded to click the link by the image(s) featured in these communications, giving the Trojan Virus their information unintentionally.

In Beijing, there is an issue known as “Hospital Scalpers,” who make money by persuading people to seek medical attention at a certain hospital. They initially damage the hospital’s reputation and career, making you suspicious, and you’ll start to trust them. They’ll transport you to the clinic of their choice, where you’ll go through a battery of pointless and expensive tests.

Every day, parents report that they were duped by agents who promised to get their kids and wards into institutions despite with poor grades. With all of these factors at play, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that China, the global leader in digital technology, is also involved in the internet fraud plot.

ROMANIA

Romania slipped into poverty and corruption after the fall of communism. If you are considering traveling to Romania, keep in mind that it is not a destination for lovers. However, it has consistently made headlines due to a persistent price decrease, poverty, or corruption. Romania either ranks bottom on our list of the nations with the highest rates of scamming or has a scamming crime rate that is extremely low compared to the other nations on the list. However, be alert.

You should get assistance if you have trouble using dating websites or making online payments. You are always at a higher risk of being duped or defrauded by Romanians. Through internet dating, phishing, and the sale of fake goods, con artists have exploited gullible people. Online scammers from Romania defraud you using tried-and-true techniques; they aren’t typically on the A-list, but they always succeed.

PHILIPPINES

The Philippines should not be on your bucket list if you are traveling abroad for the first time. In the Philippines, someone would approach you at random and say you appear familiar, which is a popular ruse to trick the naïve. They then decide to take you on a potentially dangerous tour of the Philippines.

Once you are in the taxi, there are various tricks that can be used to trick you. Drivers go the opposite way even though you specified the locations you wished to see and demand ten times the amount of money you first agreed to pay.

Unknown thieves stole money from Bangladesh’s central bank account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in March 2016 using fictitious SWIFT instructions. An ex-bank manager was found guilty of eight charges of money laundering by a Philippine court for stealing $81 million from Bangladesh’s central bank in March 2019.

A prison term of 32 to 56 years was imposed on Maia Deguito, a former branch manager at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) in Manila. Each conviction entailed a sentence of four to seven years in prison.

The former RCBC branch manager Maia Deguito was also made to pay a $109 million fine. RCBC was hit with a record-breaking Php1 billion ($19.17 million) penalties by the Philippine central bank in March 2016 for failing to stop the flow of stolen money through the institution. A former RCBC treasurer and five other staff members at the branch where the money was withdrawn were charged with money laundering.

The Philippines is the country with the highest prevalence of dating or romance fraud, followed by Ghana and Nigeria. Even worse, these are actual people with actual accounts and images. They merely want your support and will say anything to gain your money; nevertheless, they always act largely in accordance with the truth, making them more difficult to spot.

In the Philippines, using money transfers to defraud individuals is another scam technique. Banks have begun texting their customers to warn them about SIM card swapping, which con artists pose as bank promotions, and to kindly remind them not to share their one-time PIN (OTP) and card verification value (CVV).

The Department of Justice cautions that after issuing this warning, banks will not repay the victims any money they have been conned out of because it has been recorded on the bank’s system as a legitimate transaction.

The DOJ also cautioned Filipino people against clicking on links in phony employment offers that directed them to an application form. These false job postings will either demand payment for the application fee or training costs from the candidate. Additionally, they might guarantee you substantial pay. The candidate might receive questionnaires in some circumstances. They can then use your identity to commit fraud as a result.

VENEZUELA

Any casual individual would naturally assume or assume that numerous examples of scamming, ranging from online dating to bogus government bonds, have occurred since the Venezuelan national economy crashed into instability.

“Express kidnappings” are opportunistic kidnappings that happen for a short while in order to extort money from the victim. Locals never respond to surveys or questionnaires since they are frauds intended to obtain contact information for family members. There is an increase in inside kidnappings, where criminals bribe domestic workers for keys so they may break into foreigners’ houses and kidnap their kids.

The problem of carjacking exists both during the day and at night. Car thieves prefer to target expensive vehicles, especially 4x4s. Armed gangs either attempt to flag down their intended victims or ram their cars from behind in order to rob them.

Because the victims resisted being robbed, they were shot to death. Be aware that well-armed criminal organizations routinely erect phony police checkpoints across the nation. Travelers should be cautious of chokepoints and steer clear of obstacles inside tunnels. In Caracas, taxi drivers have a history of overcharging, stealing, and hurting customers.

Wear as little jewelry as you can, especially watches that seem costly, whether you’re out for a stroll or touring. Don’t flaunt your expensive camera gear either. You must utilize ATMs because hotels are prohibited by currency rules from offering currency exchange. The data from compromised ATMs has been utilized to take money from users’ accounts without their permission. ATM problems are frequent. (It has been reported that thieves utilize handheld scanners to get account information.)

Additionally, those on the go should only use ATMs in well-lit public areas to avoid becoming a target of street gangs. Cheaper hotels can be found in safer areas of Caracas including Chacao, La Castellana, and Altamira; Sabana Grande is not a safe area for housing or accommodations. Theft from hotel rooms and safe deposit boxes is common, as are thefts from unattended items left on the beach, from rental cars left in rural locations, and from cars left on city streets. Even a secured trunk and watchful guards in garages cannot prevent theft.

Airports and the area around them are also regarded as hazardous. The international airport serving Caracas, Maiquetia Airport, is rife with corruption. Both foreigners and domestic passengers, including those coming and departing, have experienced muggings and theft of personal items. Be wary of anyone who approaches you because some of these crimes are committed by individuals who appear to be dressed in official attire. Passengers are allegedly being targeted by uniformed airport staff as they go through the customary check-in and boarding processes for departing aircraft.

Others are accosted and taken to a different place for a bag inspection as they arrive. The victims are then asked to sign a document in Spanish that they do not comprehend. Simply write “I do not understand this document” in English if you are needed to sign a document that you do not understand.

Watch wary for anyone who offers to exchange foreign currency at the airport as well. You might receive phony local currency. It is well known that the road between Maiquetia Airport and Caracas is dangerous. Late-night travelers on this route have experienced kidnappings and captivity for ransom in huts along the road. Due to the high incidence of armed robberies, travelers are advised to enter and leave only during the day. You should make travel arrangements to and from the airport in advance. Beware that paying airport taxes for both local and international flights within Venezuela may result in an overcharge.

INDIA

The Indian banking sector has seen scams on a number of occasions. However, in terms of scale, the most recent one was the biggest. According to reports, the Punjab National Bank fraud cost the state-owned Indian bank more than Rs. 11,300 crore ($1.7 billion). This fraud took place when bank executives and an Indian businessman named Nirav Modi planned to steal a significant amount of money from the banking system.

Wallets and UPI have grabbed control of the Indian digital payment ecosystem. Since its launch by the National Payments Corporation of India in 2016, UPI has completely changed the payments environment (NPCI). However, although reducing payment friction encourages the creation of new businesses, it also makes fraud easier. With a potential inflow into new-age payment platforms following the coronavirus outbreak, things could only get worse (early research indicates virus droplets can linger on currency notes for days).

Additionally, taxi drivers might make an effort to dupe you by saying they don’t know how to go to your hotel. They’ll advise booking a more pricey hotel for your stay. The duty-free importing of rubies, particularly in the Jaipur region, is another another drawback. A gem salesman approaches tourists and convinces them to purchase useless jewels. You’ll be instructed to import them below the duty-free level and then resell them to one of his fictitious eager partners in their home country for a significant profit.

SOUTH AFRICA

In order to gain access to business systems or expose sensitive information that could be used to commit identity theft, spam and phishing remain two of the most efficient methods. Phishing attempts have been documented across the nation, tricking unsuspecting victims into disclosing personal information like social security numbers, bank account information, and more. Cybercriminals have refined their tactics and used more cutting-edge technology to lure people into clicking on things they shouldn’t.

According to a survey by the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Cyber Security, South Africans were the nation most affected by banking-related crimes in 2015. Phishing, visiting bogus financial websites, and receiving false SMS notifications of bank withdrawals or payments were the most often occurring instances in the province of Gauteng that were recorded.

In order to take advantage of victims who are uninformed about the real estate market and unfamiliar with the process of purchasing or selling a home, some people also pose as fraudulent real estate brokers. False agents will create fake contracts and claim to be in the process of arranging the entire transaction before demanding substantial deposits from the customer as a security deposit for the property. After the deposit is made, the suspect is not seen or heard from again.

We’ve all received that one SMS stating we’ve won several million dollars from an unknown number. They always end their SMS messages with a call to a phone number, where you can get instructions on how to claim your money. When the victims call the number, they are informed that, in comparison to their “winnings,” they must pay a little amount for “tax purposes.” As soon as the money is paid, the con artists often disappear.

Football in South Africa is another sport where fraud is practiced. In South Africa, there is no lack of skill, and many footballers only need a break. On the other hand, fake football clubs, clinics, and even sister clubs have appeared all around the nation. “Scouts” who claim to have noticed a player’s talent and wish to sign them will approach the player. They frequently provide documents that seem to be real, like a letterhead or fake letter from the South African Football Association (SAFA). Players will be required to pay a significant amount of money up front for their supplies, lodging, meals, and transportation with the assurance that they will be reimbursed “tenfold.”