The United Kingdom has warned its citizens travelling to or living in Nigeria about the growing risk of financial and fertility treatment scams, including staged fake births allegedly presented as “miracle babies.”

The warning was contained in the latest update to the UK government’s travel advice for Nigeria, published on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

The UK government said British nationals were “increasingly targeted by scammers operating in West Africa,” warning that the schemes could expose victims to significant financial losses.

“Scams come in many forms including romance and friendship, business ventures and work or employment opportunities,” the advisory stated.

It urged British citizens to exercise caution when dealing with people they meet online, particularly where money, employment opportunities, business proposals or face-to-face meetings are involved.

“Scams can put victims at great financial risk,” the UK government warned.

It advised British nationals to be particularly cautious about requests for funds, job offers, business ventures and invitations to meet people they have only interacted with online.

The UK government also provided specific guidance on suspected money-transfer scams involving Nigeria.

“If you’re emailed about a money transfer to Nigeria for someone you know, contact the person supposedly receiving the money,” it said.

It further advised people who receive calls from individuals claiming to be in distress to verify the claim by asking whether the person had reported the incident to the Consular Section of the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos or the British High Commission in Abuja.

The advisory also warned British nationals against suspicious emails purporting to originate from British diplomatic missions in Nigeria.

“If you receive a suspicious email that claims to be from any British High Commission office in Nigeria, contact the Consular Section of the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos,” it said.

The UK government also issued a new warning concerning IVF and fertility treatment scams in Nigeria, advising British nationals considering fertility treatment in the country to exercise caution.

“If you’re considering fertility treatment in Nigeria, exercise caution,” the advisory stated.

It said there had been reports of “a number of staged fake births,” commonly referred to as “miracle babies”, in which visitors were allegedly falsely led to believe that a birth had taken place.

“There have been reports of a number of staged fake births (commonly called ‘miracle babies’) where visitors are falsely led to believe that a birth has taken place,” the UK government said.

The warning also raised concerns about the regulatory framework governing fertility treatment and surrogacy in Nigeria.

“Regulation of the fertility sector, including surrogacy services, is weak,” it stated.

The UK government urged British nationals seeking fertility treatment in Nigeria to familiarise themselves with British legal requirements before making arrangements to bring a child born through fertility treatment into the UK.

It specifically referred travellers to UK guidance on overseas surrogacy.

The updated travel advice also reminded British nationals of restrictions on bringing children from Nigeria to the UK through adoption.

“The UK has restricted overseas adoption of children from Nigeria,” the advisory said.

It warned that bringing a child into the UK without complying with the relevant legal procedures could have serious consequences.

“If you bring a child who is not biologically related to you into the UK without following the legal procedures, you could face prosecution and the child may not be eligible for British citizenship,” it warned.

The latest warning was marked as current as of August 19, 2026, with the UK government identifying the IVF and fertility treatment scams information as the latest update to its Nigeria travel advice.