Yes. I got scammed, swindled and cheated by a
vendor on . I am sharing my story
here with the hope that I can reach a lot of
people and warn them to be careful with their
“hard earned money”. This happened to me
between Wednesday evening, March 26, 2014
and Friday, March 28, 2014. There are a lot of
dishonest people out there. We all need to be
careful and analytical in all our transactions.
As a lot of us are aware, OLX is an internet
company based in New York City and Buenos
Aires, Argentina. The OLX website hosts free
user-generated classified advertisements for
urban communities around the world. In simple
English, OLX provides a platform (similar to
eBay) where people can purchase and sell goods
over the internet.
I feel compelled to say at this point that the
platform in itself is not a dishonest one as the
founder Alec Oxenford created OLX with a view
to break the barrier of the physical marketplace.
So you can sit at your computer, browse through
available goods that interest you, select the one
that you desire, obtain the vendor information,
contact the vendor, discuss terms of trade, buy
and receive the product. On the other hand, you
can also decide to sell any item you wish to sell
with a wider reach to potential customers. The
quality of the internet is such a beauty and has
changed the world.
However, na Naija we dey and there are
unscrupulous elements who are looking to rip
people off in broad daylight. We need to be really
careful and I feel more compelled to share this
story because I am quite sure that a lot of other
unsuspecting people would have fallen victim to
one scam or the other on OLX or any other
internet based market platform.
Let me get into my story. I have been looking to
buy a car. Quite frankly, I want to change my
current car. I am making a little bit more money
and I’m like “Hey, make boys upgrade na”. So I’m
here browsing cars on OLX and I see an
unbelievable deal.
I know, right!!! A Toyota Rav 4, 2006 model, fresh
as can be, TOKUNBO, for N1,000,000.00. I said
Tokunbo (or Toks as we call them) for a million
Naira. It was too good to be true. Sharply, I was
already dialling the number 08102672735. I
introduced myself and stated that I was
interested in buying the car that was advertised.
He said his name was James and the car is at
Seme Border. I was given two options.
One, that I come to the border and inspect the
car, if I feel satisfied, I pay, they process the
papers and I leave with the car. Second, if I was
too busy to come to the border, he will bring the
car to my office for inspection but I need to pay a
deposit of N25,000.00. The rationale for this,
which I understood perfectly well was the fact
that he did not want to come all the way to my
office and then I inspect the car and not
eventually purchase it. He however said that if he
comes, and I don’t like the car after the
inspection, I’d forfeit N5,000 and he will return
N20,000.00 to me. The N5,000 I assumed will be
for logistics, fuelling, etc. I negotiated saying that
I will give him N10,000. I said to him “I mean, I
do not know you. what happens if I send you
N25,000 and you do not show up”. I was firm on
the fact that I was not willing to part with more
than an initial payment of N10,000.00. He
eventually agreed and I told him I will get back to
him the following day. This was Wednesday
evening at about 8pm.
I thought it through as I drove to work the next
morning, and I said to myself that the worst that
could happen was that he would abscond with
my N10,000.00. I could live with that if the worst
case scenario eventually played out. However,
the best case scenario was tantalizing. A Toyota
Rav4 for N1million. The thought of such a deal
was just…..amazing.
Anyway, I called him up when I got to work, he
sent me his bank details and I sent him my office
address. See below the text message I got with
the bank details he sent.
I did a quick bank transfer of N10,000 to his
account. I noted that the Account Name was a
female name, but you know, it was possible that
he gave me a friends account details based on
the bank that was closest to him. He calls me to
say that he has seen the money and then says he
will send me an email. A form I am to print,
complete, scan and send back to him. The email
address this was sent with is
nigeriacustomservice423@gmail.com.
I noticed they are papers from the Nigeria
Custom Service. I called and asked him if he was
a customs officer.
“Yes of course I am, if not, where will you see
this car at this price?” he said.
He then told me that the processing of the
papers and the sticker that will enable him drive
the car to me costs N135,000.00 but that it is
already included in the N1 million quoted for the
car. Another quick calculation in my head made
me realize the actual price of the car is only
N865,000. I was elated at such a wonderful deal. I
was almost sealing it. He said I should give him
some time to process and that I should expect
his call.
My phone rings, and I pick with anticipation,
expecting to hear that he was already on his way
to my office with the car. To my utter
disappointment, he said that his boss did not
allow the papers go through, saying that the
payment for the papers of N135,000.00 had to be
completed before the car will be allowed to leave
where it was. He asked me to send an additional
N125,000 to complete the payment for the
papers.
I laughed in my mind and told him that he should
pay with his money, and come and collect the
total amount from me when the car got to me,
then he can reimburse himself. He told me that
he did not have up to N125,000.00 to pay. I went
on to tell him that the agreement we had just last
night was different from what he was saying. I
mean, if we agree on something last night, and it
changes this afternoon, how am I to trust that
the new agreement will not be changed. He said
to me that he is giving me his word. I told him I
was sorry, it was impossible to trust the word of
a man that has changed in less than 24 hours. He
then said I should send N25,000.00 and that he
will pay N100,000.00 to complete the N135,000.00
for the papers. I am like “Nah, bro, there is no
assurance that I will see you even after sending
you additional money. I may just as well send
you the full amount for the car, in that case and
risk you absconding.
It was clear to him that I was not sending any
additional money, he then asked what the next
line of action will be. I told him that I will send
him my bank account details and that he should
credit my account with the N10,000.oo today as
he was not able to deliver the car. He agreed and
said no problem and that he will send my money
back.
To be honest , I really wasn’t expecting him to
send the money back because the scam became
clear to me. I had come to terms with the fact
that I’d have to settle for my worst case scenario
and forfeit my N10,000.00. I called him this
morning to ask when he will pay the money into
my account. He said I should wait till about
12pm. I call at about 2pm, he put me on speaker
phone as I could hear the voices of at least 3
other guys insulting me. One of them kept saying
“Go send the money or make you go sit-down”.
Another said “Your father….you no want make
boys chop? Boys dey on the street”. Other voices
kept saying all sorts, I listened for a while, with a
smile and then I said “Thanks Guys…Nice one”
then I hung up.
Please BEWARE, whatever you are buying, do not
send the money until you see the goods. If
possible, get the seller to come to you, do not go
some random location. I am not saying do not
shop online, all I’m saying is do so with extra
caution. Luckily for me, I was able to restrict my
loss to an amount I could afford. I will hate to
see someone who has not already fallen victim to
fall victim.

Now itz gonna be like
OLX!.... Scam it!!!

Well Done!
Thank God you are able to control yourself and not let Your Greediness take over you!
or else na another story we for dey read now

You know how many 10k he don collect lol....OLX is the Land of scammers

Someone scammed me on tonaton right here in Ghana,I saw a brand-new HTC M8 on the site but got a fairly used HTC M7 on delivery, my girl picked the phone up for me cos I was far away so she didn't know the difference,I nearly craze cos she just paid without even opening the box

Hmmm ,Gud advice broo,so after he pleaded n persuaded u 2send 135k,asumin u sent it ,NA gobe b dat ooo? 9jà boys bad oo

JeffreyJamez:
You know how many 10k he don collect lol....OLX is the Land of scammers

Honestly and its a shame!!!

justscorch:
Someone scammed me on tonaton right here in Ghana,I saw a brand-new HTC M8 on the site but got a fairly used HTC M7 on delivery, my girl picked the phone up for me cos I was far away so she didn't know the difference,I nearly craze cos she just paid without even opening the box

Your girl should be flogged..lol

just too forking long...
by the way u nor knw were market day?

alberto2k:
Now itz gonna be like
OLX!.... Scam it!!!

There are guidelines on how intending buyers should transact with sellers on OLX..
Folks don't read Terms and conditions section of products no more .
http://html4.m./terms