7 Nigerians Talk About their Scam Stories

ft Xperts in the Mud

Remember the first time our parents sat us down and told us never to talk to strangers? As kids then, it probably didn’t make sense not to talk to that person smiling at us, but as we grew older, we realized it was all an effort to protect us.

In today’s world, you can’t help but talk to a stranger because that can be a vendor offering a service you need, but we quickly learn that it can also be a person swindling people out of their money. Not all scams are easy to spot. They come in forms of convincing business enterprises, well-phrased letters, real-sounding investment apps and other gimmicks crafted to lure unsuspecting victims.

We talked to 7 people who have been on many sides of scams because why not?

Kunle

In 2014 I was scammed of my hard-earned 10k by a dealer on OLX. He posted a sweet deal of a Toyota Rav 4, 2006 model for 1 million naira. At that time, it seemed like a juicy deal so I jumped on it immediately. I called the number on the page, he picked the call and said I can either come to seme border to inspect the car or he will bring it to my place and I supervise it. If it is the section option, he said I will pay 25k. However, we agreed on 10k.

Fast forward to when the car was scheduled to land, he said I must pay 135k to process the papers because his bosses didn’t approve of him taking the car to the border. We negotiated and one day he put the phone on speaker. He and his guys started abusing him saying that don’t I want “the boys to chop?”. That scam pained me so much. I even wrote a blog for it.

Abiodun

My scam story was with a Ponzi scheme company. I was told to bring 2 people that will bring 2 more, and the chain continues. I was so hyped, I convinced all my choir members to join, paid it to my upline and she disappeared. That’s how I turned scammer in my church. It was quite painful.

HBA

I was 14yrs old when penny-wise forex was trending in Ibadan. I did one slot with N9800 and they paid me N2,500 first payment, I rushed and put in another N9800. That was the end, everything disappeared, more than a year’s savings.

Nancy

My scam experience happened at a terminus in Jos. As a big girl that I am, I went to buy a big smartphone. The vendor spoke convincingly and I was sold out on the phone that I got it immediately. On getting home, I realized the phone he gave me was pure chinko. Such a waste of money.

Funto

My story is about changing dollars at Allen avenue in Lagos State. These bureau de change people counted the money in my presence and it was complete, only for me to recount it after they left and the money was not complete. Till today I still have a phobia of patronizing the black market for dollars.

David

My experience was with some magicians at Maraba junction in Abuja precisely! I was going to work when my spirit man decided to stop and look at magic. I was picked to be a volunteer for the magic show. Unknowingly, a hand had picked my phone from my pocket. That’s how my phone magically disappeared. I will never forget. I was phoneless for like 4 months.

AB

I gave a carpenter’s work to construct a kitchen cabin in December. He collected my money and disappeared. Then he came back to tell me he started the work last month and left it halfway. In annoyance, I went to his shop to carry his generator and pack some of his tools. I still use the generator in my house till now since mine was stolen and his tools are in my trunk till he comes to complete the job. Artisans no dey fear God I swear.

While several signs can alert you that something is not right with a business deal or investment scheme, a platform like ComX takes great measures to ensure the safety of users’ money and data. The platform is highly secured and regulated by the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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