Former Nigerian scammer details playbook of how he deceived people out of money

(FOX 2) - As a former Nigerian scammer puts it, the recipe for stealing someone's money is simple.

Create a fake online persona, seek out women who are a bit older, then, as Chris Maxwell describes, "the goal is to make them fall in love with me and make them trust me 100 percent"

Maxwell made good money tricking people into sending him money. He spent years perfecting the craft. But guilt began to creep into his work, eventually reaching a breaking point when Maxwell realized one victim was the same age as his mother.

Maxwell is a reformed scammer. After spending years duping people out of their finances, the former con artist says he is now helping the good guys - working with a company to verify images and social profiles they come across online. 

From his home in Nigeria, Maxwell told his story to FOX 2, starting with a wish to make money and do big things like his friends.

"I worked in the bakery. I tried teaching, I tried many things," he said.

But playing by the rules doesn't always end in swaths of cash. Eventually, the pull to make an easy buck won him over. In 2016, he started down his dark path.

"Scamming is very common here in Nigeria - something your parents talk about, something your siblings talk about," said Maxwell. 

It didn't take long to find a method that works.

"I take this guy's picture from Instagram. He is a military guy who goes to the gym and lives in Miami," he said. "I look for women that are a little bit older between the ages of 38 to 60."

Maxwell said he would play on their loneliness, adding most victims will overlook what others might see as potential red flags.

"I specifically look for single women, divorced, lonely women so I can take advantage of them," said Maxwell.

He treated scams like a full-time job, contacting and talking to women from midnight until 5 a.m. He would focus solely on one target at a time, that way he could earn his victim's complete trust. Once that's secured, he goes for the money.

"I'm stranded, you know? I need money to come back to the states. She is my girlfriend. We are in a relationship, and she would definitely want to get me out of trouble," said Maxwell.

He first asks for hundreds of dollars, before increasing how much he needs. At one point, he scammed a woman out of $30,000.

"It's better than a full time job. It's like that salary my father was going to make his whole life," said Maxwell.

But the money came with a price, and he eventually felt bad enough about stealing money from innocent people that his mind began to turn. One woman in particular stands out as the breaking point.

Her debt became severe enough for her she started suffering health problems. He fessed up soon after.

"At some point she became sick. She became sick and depressed. She was seeing a doctor," he said. "I felt really guilty for what I did. I called her on videocall. I showed my face. She cried. She did not block me. She talked to me. She really wanted me to stop scamming, and then she introduced me to Social Catfish."

Social Catfish is a company which works to stop scammers like Maxwell. It does reverse image searches on social profiles and raises awareness about online scams. For some people who want to believe in something, they will look for reasons to believe it - even if there are red flags all around. More information regarding Social Catfish, can be found at this link. 

And online catfishing scams aren't expected to go away anytime soon. The industry is lucrative with more than $300 million being robbed from U.S. citizens during the pandemic.

The issue is pervasive enough that services like Social Catfish are badly needed. 

"Millions of people in Nigeria, millions from the United States, millions from other countries," he said. "There are scammers everywhere."

His advice for anyone concerned they are being scammed is ask to see their face on a video call. If the person says no, "don't think twice."

"I don't want any social media. I want to talk to you. Give me a phone number I want to text you," he said. "If they can't provide you with a phone number, it is a scam."