How to Avoid Online Scams: Nigeria and Kenya Marketplaces

Two rules stop most online marketplace scams: never pay for an item you have not seen and checked, and never hand over goods until the money shows in your own account. Fake payment alerts, "pay to reserve" deposits and fake escrow links all depend on you breaking one of them.

What are the most common marketplace scams?

Advance payment for an item that does not exist

The ad shows a car, a phone or a flat at a price well below similar listings. The seller is travelling, or the item is at a port or a warehouse, and you are asked to pay a deposit, a delivery fee or a clearance charge first. The EFCC's scam awareness booklet describes this pattern: goods advertised at heavily discounted prices, then a string of bogus charges for demurrage, clearance or certification once the buyer is hooked.

Fake payment alerts

This one targets sellers. The buyer "pays", then shows you a credit SMS, an email or a screenshot of a transfer receipt. It looks like your bank's message, but the money never arrived. In Nigeria it is called a fake alert, and the same trick works with any forged confirmation message, mobile money included.

Overpayment and refund

The EFCC booklet also describes buyers who pay by cheque for more than the value of the goods, say the excess was a mistake and ask for a refund by transfer. The cheque turns out to be counterfeit, and the seller loses both the product and the money sent back. The same idea works with a transfer that never really existed.

Fake escrow and "delivery agent" links

The other party suggests a "secure escrow service" or a courier that holds the money until delivery, and sends you a link. The site belongs to them. AfricaSoco has no escrow, no payment system and no delivery service, so any message claiming that AfricaSoco is holding your money is fake.

Requests for codes and PINs

A "buyer" asks for the code you have just received by SMS, "to confirm the payment". That code can unlock your bank, mobile money or WhatsApp account. The EFCC reminds the public that banks never ask for your personal identification details, and no genuine buyer needs your PIN, password or one-time code either.

The swap at handover

You test a working phone, the seller "packs it" and hands you a different one. Keep the item in your hands from the moment you check it until the moment you pay.

How can I tell if a payment is real?

• Open your own banking app, or call your bank on the number printed on your card, and check your balance. Never trust the SMS alone.
• For mobile money, check the balance or statement in your own app or menu, not a forwarded message.
• Ignore screenshots and "transfer receipts" sent by the buyer. They prove nothing.
• If the buyer says the transfer is pending and will reflect soon, wait. The goods stay with you until it does.
• For a large amount, meet at the buyer's bank and complete the transaction inside the branch.

What are the red flags in an ad or a chat?

• A price far below similar ads, often with urgency ("I travel tomorrow")
• A seller who cannot meet, or an item that is "with an agent" somewhere else
• Pressure to pay through a link or an app you do not know
• A cheque, a third-party payer, or an offer above the asking price
• Requests for codes, PINs or a copy of your ID before any viewing
• Refusal to let you inspect, test, or bring a mechanic

What habits protect buyers?

• See the item in person, in daylight, in a busy public place.
• Check it properly: for a car, follow our used car inspection checklist; for a phone, check the IMEI and the account locks.
• Pay at the meeting, after the checks, by a method you can trace.
• Get a written receipt or sale agreement.
• For a car in Kenya, verify the logbook on the NTSA service portal and follow the ownership transfer steps.

What habits protect sellers?

• Keep the item and its papers until the money is confirmed in your own account.
• Decline cheques, overpayments and payments from third parties.
• Never share a PIN or a one-time code, whatever the reason given.
• Ride along on test drives and never hand your keys to a stranger who leaves alone.
• Do not send photos of your ID or papers to people you have not met.

Car sellers will find more detail in our guide on how to sell a car fast in Nigeria.

What does AfricaSoco do, and what does it not do?

Every ad on AfricaSoco is reviewed by moderators before it goes live, and each ad has a report button that alerts the moderation team. Buyers contact sellers directly on WhatsApp or by phone. AfricaSoco takes no commission, holds no money in escrow and does not handle payment or delivery: the deal happens between you and the other person, so the habits above are your protection.

Where do I report a scam in Nigeria or Kenya?

• Call your bank or mobile money provider straight away. The sooner they know, the more they can do.
• Nigeria: the EFCC's scam awareness booklet advises reporting to the nearest police station or EFCC office.
• Kenya: the Directorate of Criminal Investigations lists a toll-free Fichua line, 0800 722 203, on its website at the time of writing (October 2026), along with a public complaints page.
• Report the ad with the report button, and keep screenshots of the chat, the phone numbers used and the payment details.

Selling something?

Post a free ad on AfricaSoco: it is reviewed before publication and buyers contact you directly. Looking for something instead? Search the ads and keep the two rules above in mind.