Muslim pilgrims warned of money scam

ABUJA, Nigeria, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Muslims planning a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia have been warned by Nigerian authorities to be wary of con men attempting to pass off fake Saudi money.

As Muslims throughout the region prepare to journey to Saudi Arabia as part of the Islamic pilgrimage of hajj, con men have been exchanging counterfeit Saudi funds for real Nigerian naira, al-Arabiya, Dubai's satellite television station, reported Wednesday.

To avoid such potential scams, the Niger state director of the National Orientation Agency, Danladi Abdulhameed, suggested would-be pilgrims exchange their Nigerian currency with the welfare board.

Abdulhameed also asked those traveling to Saudi Arabia for the religious event to act properly to ensure the image of Nigeria remained untarnished.

"You should be good ambassadors of Nigeria, avoid any thing that could tarnish the image of the country," Abdulhameed told al-Arabiya.

The TV news channel said that every able-bodied Muslim is expected to take part in Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, at least once in their life.