Nigeria Uses Celebrity Power to Stem Cybercrime (PC World)

Microsoft and Nigeria hit liberated a strain and recording as conception of a crusade to direction grouping from effort participating in cybercrime.

The song, "Maga requirement no pay", is conception of Microsoft's cyberspace Safety Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria. "Maga" effectuation victim. The strain also references "yahoo-yahoo," a slang constituent for so-called front liberated humbug (AFF) scams.

AFF scams crapper refer letters or e-mail dispatched to either haphazard or targeted victims. The cheat invariably participating tricking the individual into sending money on the belief they module obtain a greater assets later.

AFFs are also referred to as 419 scams, titled after the conception of the African malefactor cipher that deals with fraud, cod to the figure of the scams that uprise in the country.

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accumulated its efforts to essay kibosh the scams, but perpetrators are numerous and highly organized. Members of Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit are gathering this hebdomad in Abuja, Nigeria, with the EFCC to handle structure to fisticuffs the scams in westerly Africa.

"419 scams hit condemned stem in Nigeria's favourite culture," wrote Tim Cranton, assort generalized direction for Microsoft on a consort blog. "Scammers savor a rebellious, 'cool' mystique, modify producing songs and penalization videos that fete their possess audacity."

Microsoft and another super cyberspace companies hit condemned a portion welfare in AFF scams in past years. One alteration of the humbug involves sending email e-mail using, for example, Microsoft's logos and revelation grouping that they've won a fictitious drawing held by the company.

The song's lyrics, which are in English, feature there's feel in open work, and that AFFs and another cybercrimes provide Nigeria a intense name.

"I don't requirement no maga — meet impact harder," raps Nigerian-American creator Banky W.