Nigerian comedian Destalker has shared how his journey into comedy began after he failed to succeed at internet fraud.
Naija News reports that he spoke about his early struggles during an interview on the In-house Gist podcast, where he recounted trying his hands on online fraud while still living in Enugu.
According to him, a close friend introduced him to the act, but he could not go through with it because of his soft nature.
The same friend, he said, is now a Christian cleric.
Destalker revealed that he and his friend used to spend nights at cybercafés, paying for long browsing sessions in an attempt to make money through online scams.
However, while his partner focused on tricking people, he would rather chat with family and old schoolmates until he fell asleep.
He said he soon realized the act was not meant for him and decided to find a better path.
He explained that the experience taught him valuable lessons that shaped his confidence and determination.
The comedian said that despite facing rejection and being denied opportunities by others in the entertainment industry, he stayed focused until he achieved success on his own terms.
He said: “Before I left Enugu, I tried internet fraud with one of my friend who is now a pastor but I wasn’t successful at it. Then we would book night sessions at cyber cafe for N250. I couldn’t afford it then so my friend always paid for me. He is now a big pastor, Rev. Nelson Umeh.
“However, while he was scouting for victims online to scam, I was busy chatting with my family, friends and old schoolmates from Ughelli on Facebook. After that, I would fall asleep. There is no need for overspending when you are on the wrong lane.
“But today, it is a changed story. Because it [internet fraud] was not my destiny. I can’t defraud a person because I am kindhearted. Because of all that I went through, I have grown so confident that no one can stop me from achieving my goal.
“There were some comedians who said without them I would not perform at certain shows and I told them that I would blow even without performing there. And I did. Some of the shows have gone extinct and some of the comedians are also no longer relevant.”
