At eighteen, my nephew Jeremiah had always wanted to specialize in videography. His grandmother wanted him to be a man of God. His mom wanted him to be a doctor because, growing up, she wanted to be one, but it never worked out for her because of financial reasons, and she ended up being a volunteer teacher.
In June 2024, while Jeremiah was walking around the neighborhood with his friends, he noticed a poster stuck to an electricity cable pole, or you can call it an advertisement banner kind of thing. The ads on the poster were about enrollment in a videography course at an affordable price, with their contact information and a call to action. “Call us now for information,” as the guys in marketing always do to attract customers.
Without wasting time, Jeremiah grabbed their contact information. By the time he reached the house, I was at work. Knowing that his gran and mom might not support this, he waited for me so we could discuss it. Once I got home and rested for thirty minutes, Jeremiah came to me and explained everything, including what the course was about and how long it would last. I supported him and promised to convince his gran and mom to support him. I tried, and they agreed.
After that, he contacted the videography course administration, filled out their online enrollment form, and I paid the course fee. He was told to report for class after one month, which was August 2024. He did report and started studying for the professional certificate in this specialty. Every time he came back from school, he told me how much he loved the school and how professional the course facilitators were. He also told me he would be the happiest man once he got the chance to direct a movie or music video after graduating from the course. As a supportive uncle, I offered Jeremiah all the support he needed to earn the certificate with good grades.
In August 2025, my mom, Jeremiah’s mom, and I were at his graduation ceremony. After a long year and several months of studying, this was finally the day we had all been waiting for. Jeremiah was so happy to see the whole family there in support of him. We danced, smiled, and took pictures while he wore a black gown and held his certificate with a big smile on his face.
I must admit this was such a special day, as I could spot my old mom dancing and feeling proud alongside his gran, who had always opposed this kind of thing. It was a beautiful moment to see how far Jeremiah had come.
Fast forward three months after his graduation, Jeremiah started getting deals from upcoming musicians and filmmakers in the surrounding neighborhood. Each day I went to work and came home, I received positive news from his gran about people coming to our house looking for Jeremiah so he could direct their videos. Since I had bought him all the equipment he needed, I was happy to see the results of his hard work. I must say the boy was so happy with the outcomes and achievements.
He was making real money for sure, but I never dared to ask him for a penny because it was his hard work, sacrifice, and sweat that had helped him reach this level. Yes, I knew I had put some cash into his education, but I didn’t just want to be a capitalist by helping someone and then making that person pay me back in return. No, that isn’t my thing. I just help when I can and don’t ask for anything in return.
Days passed, and Jeremiah came up with an idea of advertising his business online. He opened business accounts on Facebook, YouTube, and X, formerly known as Twitter. Each time someone subscribed to his pages, he would notify me with excitement.
After seeing all this, I sat down with Jeremiah and warned him to watch out for internet scammers and cyber theft. After our conversation, he replied, “Yes, Uncle, I will be more than careful.” I believed him because, from everything I had seen, Jeremiah was becoming a responsible young man. He was working hard, building his business and making his own money. I had no reason at that moment to think he was already getting involved with something he should have told me about. I thought he listened to my advice, but I was wrong.
Behind my back, he was chatting with a Nigerian man he met online, and they shared contacts. They used to chat every day, which is a trick scammers use to gain someone’s trust. After gaining his trust, the man promised Jeremiah he had a company that shipped studio equipment from Dubai to Nigeria and other parts of Africa, and that he would sell it at an affordable price. He even sent him pictures of a new camera and other tools a videographer needs.
For Jeremiah, the pictures made the deal look real. He was building his business and knew better equipment could help him improve his work and take it to the next level.
He never dared to tell me about the deal because he knew I would question the person and the deal. He had met the man on Facebook, and perhaps that was enough reason for me to tell him to be careful. He decided to keep it to himself and believed he could handle the deal on his own, especially because his business was growing and he was already making money from his work.
One day Jeremiah came to me and said, “Uncle, I met this Nigerian guy online, and I helped edit his videos. He said he would pay me through Western Union.” I said, ” Wow, that’s awesome, my boy. I’m so proud of you,”. I thought he was getting another opportunity through his online work. I did not know there was another story behind the money.
He said, “Goodbye, Uncle. I’m going to the nearest Western Union,” and left.
Twenty minutes later, he came back and said the outlet was closed. The man had told Jeremiah to send payment for the equipment they had discussed, promising it would be delivered within a week. Jeremiah sent the money and kept waiting. After a week, the man went offline. Jeremiah tried to contact him, but when he called, it did not go through. He still hoped that the man would come back online and explain what had happened.
Three weeks passed. Jeremiah was still hoping to hear from the man, but nothing happened. That was when Jeremiah finally came to me. When I saw him, I noticed that he was avoiding eye contact with me. He looked disappointed and embarrassed, and he hesitated when speaking. I could tell he expected me to be angry because he hadn’t told me about the deal.
After a brief hesitation, he explained what had happened. He told me that he had sent him 500 USD and that the man had gone offline. He finally looked at me and said, “Uncle, I have been scammed.” I didn’t say, “I told you so.” Instead, I said, “It happens,” because I wanted to comfort him. I knew he was already hurting, and there was no need to make him feel worse.
