Before I explain the meaning of the secret code word used by Nigerian scammers, alaye, I’d like to talk about Nigeria and the country’s languages.
Nigeria has an incredibly diverse culture, with over 250 ethnic groups and the largest population in Africa. According to Worldometer, the country’s population is currently 239.5 million. A lot of mouths to feed, I’d say.
The largest ethnic groups in Nigeria are:
Hausa (25%) — Hausa live in Hausaland in northern Nigeria, the land of Boko Haram.
Yoruba (21%) — Yoruba states are located in the southwest and central regions.
Igbo (18%) — Igbo live in Southeast Nigeria.
Ijaw (10%) — Niger Delta.
Linguistically speaking, Nigeria is one of the most diverse countries in the world, with over 500 languages spoken.
Although English is the official language — and Nigerians speak a bad version of it as I’ve witnessed it in the way their scammers communicate with us during online chat — English is spoken less frequently in rural areas and among the people with lower education levels.
There is one uniting language in Nigeria, though, and it is Nigerian Pidgin.
Nigerian Pidgin, also known as Naijá, is an English-based creole language used as a dialect in Nigeria to facilitate communication among the country’s many different ethnic groups.
Nigerian Pidgin originated from interactions between British colonisers and Nigerians, and it is a simplified language that uses vocabulary from Nigerian languages, English, and Portuguese.
Most of my anti-scam sisters speak Nigerian Pidgin because sometimes we hide in scammers’ groups to get insider information. Those groups, especially on Facebook, are allowed to sell hacked social media accounts, gift cards, voodoo priests advertise their black magic potions and rituals — usually involving some animal blood — and recruit scammers, and Meta does nothing about it — even if we report them.
When we confront a scammer and their cover is blown, they attack us by calling us ‘mumu woman’ or a witch. Mumu means stupid. Usually, our reply is something heavier in the meaning department compared to being called mumu.
The Meaning of Alaye
And now for the meaning of the word alaye…
When you think about it, scammers operate in an ocean filled with other scammers; it is quite possible to encounter yet others just like them within that ocean.
So, what happens if a scammer ends up talking to another scammer? Let’s say one of them is posing as a woman and the other one is posing as a man.
Well, they know what a fake account looks like, so they use the code word: alaye.
The word alaye has a few different meanings, depending on the context. Here’s the explanation from a Nigerian insider:
“It‘s a slang word that originated from south-west Nigeria. ‘Alaye’ can be used to refer to a wise person, a boss, someone respected in the streets, someone in a position of power or even a wealthy individual. It can also be used informally to mean ‘my guy’ or someone who knows what’s going on in the streets.”
According to Wiktionary, in the Yoruba language, alaye means explanation or a powerful person, a thug, an area boy.
However, on the internet, text messaging, and criminal slang, alaye is a code word used by scammers to reveal themselves to each other.
If the scammers send you this word, alaye, in a message to see if you are another scammer, so they don’t waste their time.
This happened to me, actually.
During my ‘research’ days, when I was talking to romance scammers from my fake accounts, I had a few occasions in which the scammers — experienced ones — used alaye on me.
Here, one of my fake girls is talking to a prolific scammer from Nigeria:
I had to make some changes to my profile after this ‘alaye’ encounter, but here’s another example of a scammer alaye-ing one of my anti-scam sisters:
And here’s fake Johnny Depp talking to Becky Holmes (the author of Keanu Reeves is not in Love with You):
The word alaye may seem to be benefiting the scammers, but there is another way of using the word against them.
If you’re savvy enough to know that the good-looking person who reached out to you from out of nowhere is a scammer and you don’t want to be bothered with him or her, using the word alaye might work like a charm.
This is how I do it:
A good-looking guy sent me a friend request on FB, so I decided to check out his profile. Not that I want a relationship with anyone who suddenly appears on my radar.
When I checked his profile, it of course looked like the typical scammer profile.
I messaged him, saying, “No thanks, scammer!” and he replied with a simple, “Ok.”
A few days later, he sent me another message as if nothing had happened, asking, “Can we get to know each other?”
I’m thinking, this scammer is here to play, so I play, too.
As usual, he starts asking the typical questions: age, birthday, where I’m from, and so on. I’m thinking, how many times I had to go through this under the name of ‘research’, but he doesn’t know that, does he?
If you’re not familiar with how male scammers operate, their typical profile includes something like: single dad, usually divorced or widowed, from a U.S. city but “deployed” overseas. Basically, a typical military scam format.
Here’s a tip: If you’re unsure about something they say, do some research to check their story. Also, challenge their profile — ask questions only a U.S. citizen would know, for example, since they pretend to be from the US most of the time. This way, you’ll get a sense of the lies they’re dishing up.
OK, here’s how our conversation went:
Me: Let me guess, you’re in the military, right?
Scammer: Yes, I’m from San Francisco and deployed to Syria.
Me: Syria? Interesting. So, you’re a single father?
Scammer: Yes, single father to a lovely daughter.
Me: And your wife, she’s either dead or you’re divorced?
Scammer: We are divorced, yes.
(At least this one didn’t say that his wife died of prostate cancer.)
Me: So, the military… you’re deployed to Syria? What branch are you in?
Please note that scammers usually don’t know the specifics of military operations. So, asking specific questions usually confuses, panics, and causes them to make mistakes.
Scammer: The one in Syria.
Me: OK, you’re in Syria, but WHAT BRANCH?
Scammer: The branch in Syria.
Me: First of all, if you’re going to pretend to be a U.S. military person, at least learn about the system.
Me (again): Alaye.
Right after I sent that, Facebook Messenger said, ‘This person was unavailable on Messenger.’
Of course not!
If a scammer approaches you and you do not want to waste your time, please use the word alaye. It shuts them up and clears the room.
How do you know you’re talking to a scammer?
As a side note, the US initiated a significant drawdown of its military presence in Syria, beginning the withdrawal of forces from five bases in the northeastern region. This move is part of a broader plan to reduce U.S. troop numbers in Syria from approximately 2,000 to under 1,000. The decision aligns with ongoing efforts to reassess America’s military engagements abroad and reflects a shift in focus within the U.S. Central Command. This was the case in April 2025.
Now that you understand the meaning of alaye and how scammers identify other scammers online, I still urge you to be vigilant and not take anything or anyone for granted. Please do your own research and ask questions about everything they claim to be.
