How to avoid online shopping scams in Nigeria

The one habit behind most losses

Nearly every online shopping scam in Nigeria relies on the same thing: you pay first. Fake vendor, real vendor selling a fake item, "pay for delivery" upsells, doubled-up "account issues" — all of them need your money to move before you have the goods. Remove that, and there is nothing left to steal.

The rules that actually protect you

1. Never pay a personal account before delivery. This is the whole game. A cleared transfer rarely comes back.
2. Use buyer-protected checkout. Your money is held and released to the seller only after you confirm delivery. If it goes wrong, you are refunded.
3. Be suspicious of pressure. "Last one," "price goes up tonight," "pay now to reserve" — urgency is a tool to stop you thinking.
4. Watch for payment switch-ups. A sudden "our account changed, send to this one instead" is a classic takeover trick.
5. Don't pay separate "delivery/clearing/customs" fees to a person mid-order. Legitimate delivery cost is agreed up front, not sprung on you.
6. Reverse-image-search suspicious product photos. Stolen catalogues are common.
7. Keep one record. One place that holds what was promised, what you paid and the delivery terms is what makes a dispute winnable.
8. Prefer sellers who accept payment after delivery. A genuine seller loses nothing; a fraudster loses their whole method.
9. If it's far below market price, assume bait. Especially phones, gadgets and designer items.

The simplest safe path

Instead of vetting every stranger, move the risk off yourself entirely: buy through a platform where payment protection is automatic. On BuyChat every purchase — products, services, rides, stays — holds your money until you confirm delivery, and you can let Aisha, the AI shopping assistant, find the vendor and place the order. The scammer's one requirement, getting paid before delivering, is exactly what protected checkout refuses to allow.