Scammed Nigerian Player Promoted Same Scams to Kids at Home

Nigerian footballer Jerry Moses was lured to Serbia at 15 with false promises of a professional career. But before exposing his ordeal, he was tricked into promoting similar scams to kids back home.

Nigerian footballer Jerry Moses, 15, was scammed by a fake agent in 2022 to come to Serbia with false promises of a professional career. Two years later, after being beaten, Moses exposed his ordeal on Instagram.

But beforehand, Moses had posted videos on social media aimed at underage African footballers, detailing how they might catch the attention of European scouts. These posts appeared optimistic and aspirational, reflecting the same dreams that led to his exploitation.

Moses posted a desperate plea on Instagram on November 20, 2024. Now 17, he appeared with a bloody lip and told a familiar tale.

Like many promising African footballers, Moses was contacted by a fake agent. In 2022, he was brought to Serbia from his native Nigeria on false promises. He had been a bright young footballer at home playing for under-15 sides before moving to Serbia.

For the sum of 1,500 euros a month, paid by an unnamed sponsor, Moses would kickstart his footballing career in the Balkans.