Like many other industries, the e-commerce and retail landscape has changed following the increase in internet penetration in Nigeria. Consumers are now shopping online, encouraging more people to do their business online, either through their own websites or shop online via social media.
According to Statista, the number of online shoppers reached 76.6 million in Nigeria in 2019. Unfortunately, this rapid growth of online shoppers has also led to an increase in online shopping fraud.
Online shopping scams involve fraudsters posing as legitimate online sellers using fake websites or fake social media accounts. Although many online sellers are legitimate, fraudsters take advantage of the internet’s anonymous nature to trick unsuspecting shoppers. They open these online stores in no time and often sell fake branded clothes or stolen jewelry photos from other sites or the internet. They usually sell for a much lower price than the normal price other legitimate sellers sell them to attract unsuspecting victims. After a few sales, the shops disappeared.
If you have been scammed by an online seller, there are still ways to get your money back.
How to get your money back after being scammed
- Take screenshots of your conversations with online sellers on social media (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter).
- Copy the full name and account details of the provider that is defrauding you.
- If you made the transfer via mobile app or SMS, go to your transaction history and copy the “Transaction ID” of the transaction.
- All banks have a team that deals with online fraud. Email your bank’s e-fraud team and bank scammer online with proof of transaction and forward a copy of the email to CBN FRAUD DESK. This helps banks guard against scammer accounts.
- This means that the scammer cannot complete the transaction until he visits the bank.
- If you don’t have their email address, you can go to your bank or the scammer’s bank and speak to the scam’s customer service team to file a complaint.
- Your bank will walk you through the steps to get your money back.
- Report it to the police and talk to an attorney to file a subpoena. With a court order, the bank will give your scammer’s information to the police so they can track him down and get your money back.
While these steps will help you get your money back, it’s still a good idea to protect yourself from online social media scams.
- You can check the site for reviews before shopping.
- Avoid vendors that do not have a refund policy.
- Fraudsters also scam people online by offering freebies on their page asking you to send money before receiving the item won. Avoid such gifts.
Why is this important
Social media platforms have become prime targets for scammers. It is important for people to take precautions before shopping online to avoid falling victim to online shopping scams.