The Beekeeper is terrible; the dialogue sounds like it was written by a two-year-old. So why am I talking about it? The Beekeeper began generating buzz when the trailers came out in late 2023. After watching the film a few days ago, I understand why.
Adam Clay, the film’s protagonist, is forced out of retirement when cyber criminals scam his elderly landlord out of millions. He goes on a rampage when she commits suicide, shooting his way through various call centers in search of the masterminds behind the scheme. If you frequent the internet, you can understand why that premise would entice viewers. Scammers are everywhere.
More than likely, your email is overflowing with questionable messages from Nigerian princes promising you millions from their inheritance if you are willing to send them a few shillings at the start. No wonder The Beekeeper resonated with audiences.
They wanted to see scammers die, and Statham’s character obliged them. Ugandans are wising up. If you are not, allow me to educate you.
Don’t respond to messages from people you don’t know. If your personal and professional situation compels you to receive emails from strangers, don’t click the links in the messages unless you trust the sender.
Here’s how they get you. Let’s say you normally use PayPal for transactions. You will wake up to an email from PayPal threatening to close your account or freeze your funds because of suspicious activity.
They will ask you to resolve the issue by logging into your PayPal account using the link in the email. If you follow the link, it will take you to a PayPal page. But nothing will happen when you enter your username and password.
The scammer just stole your username and password. I use PayPal as an example, but you will receive similar emails from Gmail, Yahoo, and every other online service you frequent. These scams work because people act without thinking. When an MTN agent says your mobile money account is compromised, you can’t help but panic.
Scams are easy to identify if you take a few minutes to do your due diligence. Anyone telling you to act right now to avert a disaster is up to no good. You should also avoid promotions claiming that you have won contests you never entered. Some Ugandans are smart enough to escape those silly traps only to fall prey to dubious business opportunities.
Consider this. If someone says they can make you millions if you will only invest in their Ponzi scheme, ask yourself why that person is talking to you. Why haven’t they made millions for themselves already?
Any stranger on the internet encouraging you to part with a small fee before you can participate in their venture is trying to defraud you. To be clear, I don’t blame Ugandans for falling for these scams. Millions of Ugandans are buying smartphones and, thus, gaining access to the internet for the first time. But no one has bothered to warn them about the dangers awaiting them.
They are quick to believe every ridiculous promise they encounter because they don’t know any better. Telecommunication companies are working hard to warn their consumers about fraudsters masquerading as agents. However, no one is alerting laypeople about that scammer waiting to attack them via Gmail or Facebook.
Hopefully, movies like The Beekeeper have taught you to apply more caution while traversing the World Wide Web.
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