A Nigerian man who identified himself as a former Yahoo boy has shared how years of unsuccessful internet fraud eventually pushed him to abandon the practice and pursue legitimate work.
The man, identified on X as @hintrovertt, said he started internet fraud in 2020 but failed to make significant money from it despite several years of trying.
“I started Yahoo in 2020. Fast forward to 2022, I didn’t cash out $1,” he wrote.
He said his situation became more difficult when a friend who started the same lifestyle in 2022 quickly began making money and bought an iPhone 12. Seeing his friend’s apparent success made him question why he was struggling.
According to him, he eventually believed that traditional or spiritual practices, commonly referred to as “juju,” might help him succeed.
“That same 2022, a friend of mine started, bought an iPhone 12, and was balling. I thought maybe it was because I didn’t add juju,” he stated.
He said he borrowed money to carry out what he called “soap”, but the effort produced little result. He claimed he made only $100, which he used to buy an iPhone 6.
“I borrowed money to do soap, only to cash out $100. I used that $100 to buy an iPhone 6, not knowing that was the last money I was ever going to cash out,” he recalled.
The prolonged struggle, he said, affected his emotional wellbeing as he watched some of his friends appear to prosper.
“By then my friends were balling. I got depressed. Lonely. I started smoking just to escape reality, because things were too tough,” he wrote.
He said he continued trying to make money through internet fraud but remained unsuccessful, eventually wondering whether he was affected by a family curse or simply destined to struggle.
“I started thinking maybe I had a family curse, or I just wasn’t destined to make it in life,” he added.
In August 2024, he said he decided to quit internet fraud and took up a conventional 9-to-5 job.
“August 2024, I gave up. I went and started a 9-5,” he wrote.
He said his circumstances later began to improve after he decided to take his X account more seriously in late 2025. According to him, he eventually got the account monetised and began earning through the platform.
“Fast forward to late 2025, I decided to take my X account serious. I got monetized. Now I don guide pass almost all my friends that were doing Yahoo back then,” he stated.
Reflecting on his experience, the man said his journey taught him that struggling in one area of life does not necessarily mean something is fundamentally wrong with a person.
“The point of this post is simple: sometimes nothing is wrong with your life. You just need to change your ways,” he concluded.
His account has since attracted reactions online, with users discussing his decision to leave internet fraud and pursue legitimate sources of income.
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