By Jackson Godwin. Cybersecurity Analyst & Penetration Tester
I Decided to Verify His Story
Instead of sending the money, I started asking questions.
Not emotional questions.
Simple factual ones.
I asked:
- The name of the offshore company.
- The location of the oil rig.
- Whether the company had an official website.
- Whether he could communicate using an official company email address.
His replies became increasingly vague.
Sometimes he ignored the questions.
Other times, he changed the subject completely.
That was my first real warning sign.
I Examined the Photos Again
I looked through every photograph he had sent over the past few months.
They were impressive.
Hard hats.
Helicopters.
Massive offshore platforms.
But something seemed unusual.
Many of the photos looked professionally taken.
Some appeared more like promotional images than personal snapshots.
Out of curiosity, I performed a reverse image search.
Several photographs appeared on websites belonging to engineering companies and stock image libraries.
The pictures weren’t his.
They had been copied from publicly available sources.
The Company Didn’t Know Him
I visited the official website of the company he claimed to work for.
The information about offshore operations looked genuine.
But there was nothing connecting him to the organisation.
I also noticed something important.
The company’s recruitment and employee information clearly warned the public about scammers impersonating their staff to request money from strangers online.
That warning alone told me everything I needed to know.
I Confronted Him
I sent one final message.
“The photos you sent appear on other websites, and the company warns about scams using its name.”
There was a long silence.
Then he replied.
“You’re listening to the wrong people.”
“If you loved me, you’d trust me.”
He never addressed the evidence.
Instead, he tried to make me feel guilty.
That emotional manipulation confirmed my suspicions.
Then He Vanished
The following morning, his profile had disappeared.
The messaging account no longer existed.
Months of conversations ended in complete silence.
The offshore engineer.
The future we had discussed.
The emergency.
None of it had been real.
The only real thing was the attempt to convince me to send money.
Why Scammers Pretend to Be Oil Rig Engineers
Criminals often choose professions that naturally explain why they cannot easily meet in person.
An offshore worker can plausibly claim:
- Limited internet access.
- Long periods at sea.
- Restricted communication.
- Unexpected travel delays.
- Difficulty accessing personal banking services.
These explanations can sound convincing, especially to someone unfamiliar with offshore work.
That doesn’t mean every offshore engineer is a scammer.
It means extraordinary claims deserve reasonable verification.
Warning Signs I Ignored
Looking back, these were the biggest red flags.
🚩 Months Without a Proper Video Call
Every request for a longer conversation was met with another excuse.
🚩 Stolen Professional Photos
The pictures looked impressive, but they weren’t personal.
They had been taken from public sources.
🚩 An Employer That Somehow Needed My Money
Legitimate employers do not normally ask employees’ online partners to solve company-related financial problems.
🚩 Emotional Pressure Instead of Evidence
Whenever I asked for proof, he responded with guilt rather than answers.
How to Protect Yourself
If someone online claims to work offshore or in another remote profession:
- Verify their identity through multiple independent methods.
- Be cautious if they repeatedly avoid live video conversations.
- Never send money because of an online emergency.
- Research the company independently instead of relying on documents they provide.
- Discuss the situation with trusted friends or family before making financial decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are offshore workers allowed to communicate with family?
Communication policies vary by employer and location.
Many offshore workers have some access to phones or the internet, although connectivity may be limited.
Limited communication alone does not prove someone is a scammer.
The concern arises when communication restrictions are combined with requests for money, refusal to verify identity and inconsistent stories.
Why do scammers choose believable professions?
Because believable professions help explain why they cannot meet in person or respond immediately.
The more realistic the story appears, the easier it becomes to gain a victim’s trust.
What should I do if I think I’m being targeted?
Stop sending money.
Pause the conversation.
Verify the person’s identity independently.
Report suspicious accounts to the platform where you met them.
If you’ve already sent money, contact your financial institution as soon as possible and report the incident to the appropriate authorities in your country.
Final Thoughts
The person I believed I knew never worked on an offshore oil rig.
The photographs weren’t his.
The emergency wasn’t real.
The relationship itself was carefully constructed to earn one thing:
My trust.
That experience reminded me that modern cybercrime often relies less on hacking computers and more on manipulating people.
The strongest defence isn’t just antivirus software.
It’s asking questions, verifying information and refusing to let emotions replace evidence.
Because in cybersecurity, trust should always be earned—and verified.
About the Author
Jackson Godwin is a Cybersecurity Consultant specialising in Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT), Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC), ISO/IEC 27001, PCI DSS, Cloud Security, AI Security, and Digital Risk Management.
Through JacksonTechnology.com.ng, he publishes cybersecurity awareness stories, ethical hacking tutorials, compliance guides, and practical online safety advice to help individuals and organisations recognise cyber threats, avoid scams, and stay secure in today’s digital world.
His mission is to make cybersecurity practical, relatable, and accessible—one cyberstory at a time.