Violent crime
Violent crime, including muggings, robberies, and attacks on motorists, occurs in urban areas and on intercity highways. Armed highwaymen operate across the country.
Armed bandits are common in the border areas with the Central African Republic.
Avoid isolated and poorer areas of urban areas, including in Yaounde, particularly at night.
Criminals target roads close to the borders with Nigeria, the Central Africa Republic and Chad.
Piracy
Piracy is a threat in the Gulf of Guinea and particularly in the waters around the Niger Delta and the Bakassi Peninsula.
Pirate attacks have been reported in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Guinea and, in some cases, further out at sea.
Pirates frequent the waters around the ferry crossings between Limbe or Tiko, Cameroon, and Calabar, Nigeria.
Pirates are heavily armed.
Attractive targets for pirates include:
local fishing dhows
commercial boats
pleasure crafts
luxury cruise liners
Don’t travel in the Gulf of Guinea waters or surrounding areas.
If you need to travel by boat, you should:
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) publishes piracy reports.
Personal security
There is a high risk of mugging, armed robbery and violent crime throughout Cameroon.
Gangs of gunmen have attacked restaurants and hotels that cater to foreigners.
To reduce your risk of crime:
avoid travel after dark, especially outside city limits
always pay attention to your personal security
when travelling by car, keep doors locked, windows up and valuables out of sight.
If you become a victim of violent crime, including rape, seek medical help straight away. The HIV/AIDS infection rate in Cameroon is high. See ‘Health’.
Petty crime
Thieves are active on trains, coaches, buses and taxis, and around bus stations. Always take care of your belongings when using public transport.
Scams and fraud
Commercial and internet fraud often originates in West African countries, including Cameroon.
Online scammers defraud victims. Victims who have travelled to the originating country have put their lives in danger.
Criminals often seek details of ‘safe’ bank accounts overseas, such as yours. They claim they will transfer large sums of money into the account. Victims believe they will get a donation or a percentage of the amount involved.
Be aware of other scams where criminals:
give fake cheques for ‘urgent’ shipments of goods
ask for large fees for fake government contracts
extort money from people the scammers convince to travel to Africa for business opportunities.
To protect yourself against a scam, be wary of:
any request to send money to a person in Cameroon
any invitation to Cameroon to meet someone you have met over the internet.
Be careful about giving out personal information or disposing of personal documents in Cameroon.
Scammers can access your personal data when you use open networks. Be careful when and where you use internet banking and other sites that transmit or store your data or passwords.
Don’t travel to Cameroon to try to get your money back or seek revenge. You could be in danger.
Bogus dating schemes
Criminals in West Africa operate fake online friendship, dating and marriage schemes.
Scammers use these schemes to defraud and threaten the lives of Australians. They do this by targeting Australians and other foreigners on internet dating sites or chat rooms. They may pose as a prospective friend or spouse.
Once a friendship develops, the scammer asks for money to allow them to travel to Australia. Sometimes, the scammer ends the relationship once the money has been sent. There’s little chance of getting the money back.
In other cases, foreigners are lured to Africa to meet their prospective friend or marriage partner. Once in Africa, they may become the victim of kidnapping, assault, robbery or extortion.
More information:
Cyber security
You may be at risk of cyber-based threats during overseas travel to any country. Digital identity theft is a growing concern. Your devices and personal data can be compromised, especially if you’re connecting to Wi-Fi, using or connecting to shared or public computers, or Bluetooth.
Social media can also be risky in destinations where there are social or political tensions or laws that may seem unreasonable by Australian standards. Travellers have been arrested for things they have said on social media. Don’t comment on local or political events on your social media.
More information:
Source link : https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/cameroon
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Publish date : 2023-10-06 07:00:00
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