Please Beware, Festive season is already around the corner, I wont be biased in all tips to share here.

Below are tips and advice to identify a fraudster, scammer, kidnappers, ritualist, and so on

1- They use eye catching business name that is not registered with C.A.C to lure innocent or greedy clients. for example, They use SCHINTOP NIG LTD on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Nairaland, etc and ask you to pay into an individual bank account "Abiodun Uche Buhari" after so many long talks on whatsapp and others.

2. Do not use Instant Messaging platforms to deal. Corporate email is better if the business owner present itself thus SCHINTOP NIG LTD , instead of to use peter@schintop.com but peter@gmail.com.

3. They hide even in corporate organizations but relay you to business associates or fellow for fast track of transaction: they claim you can't pay for their service but they can recommend a cheaper collaborator around.

4. They use different mobile numbers to contact you.

5. Their business address or location is always difficult to locate and mostly in residential areas. Either they don't have a stable office or they are popular in the area to make you trust they are real but when the negative happens, nobody know them again. example is : After much exchange of calls as you are going to transact, they love to describe on phone and will come and pick from the road side, many of their collaborators start hailing them as you walking with him or her to the office. If money had been involved and the negative happen, when you go back, the hailing guys will pretend they have not heard such name before.

6. Do not let them know when you are showing up by day, date because if you do, they will be well prepare for truthful lies to lure you but tell them on phone you are coming next week, go there tomorrow or vice-versa. lots will claim they are not around and you did not notify them when you reach there without notification first.

7. Request for photocopy of C.A.C certificate and make sure you make payment to the business bank account exactly on the C.A.C certificate.

8. Ask for proforma invoice or commercial invoice before you make payment and make sure to look for clauses that look unclear to you. also make sure all promises via text, voice, etc are included or spelt correctly in the invoice.

9. Request for the service of an attorney or lawyer to do due diligence for you if it pertains to high volume financial transaction or economic experts for assessment on risks. due dilligence goes with Memorandum of Understanding, Power of Attorney, How long they had been in the business, past track records of successful projects / jobs executed.

For delivery guys,

10. Please do not outsmart your superiors by involving in shady deals, let him know every inch of your movement and present if any arise at delivery, so that he or she can defend you.

11. Maintain the status quo of exact address of delivery on the paper work, do not allow the recipient call you with another line to meet at a different location. pick, it might be a trap by kidnappers.

12. Do not go or deliver to remote locations to pickup or drop off that looks shady unless a well traceable address on the paper work - beware of ritualist and kidnappers.

13. Some use Innocent business name but meet you at the ground floor or outside if you let them know you are coming, they quickly block so as not to ask at the front desk or security post that knows all personnel, they pretend as if they are going out for the company tasks. These ones always hang around the hotspots residence or floor areas of the large building. Always request to wait for them at reception to discuss in-depth.

Please, Nairalanders. add yours to help a fellow brother and sister.

Regards,

[b]Abiodun Lamidi
For; MANMID GLOBAL RESOURCES.