3INVESTIGATE THE SELLER
A lot of persons have fallen victims to fraudsters including myself. And I have also learned my lessons. In this era of social media, local businesses, both fake and genuine have taken to the use of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter etc, to sell their products, obviously because it’s easy to use locally, and may not also require a payment system to sell. But then, it has been reported as the most vulnerable to fraud. It’s apparently easy to create fake accounts on any of the social media platforms, and upload images. Since there are no physical measures to identify fake accounts, people fall prey.
To avoid falling prey, you must be vigilant and alert. Don’t get swayed by beautiful images and convincing sales person behind the mask because you typically don’t know the person behind the picture. Real accounts can be hacked and used to perpetrate fraud. That’s why you must ask questions, read testimonials, or reviews about your proposed seller before you make a buy. If reviews are made up, follow your instincts or opt for a payment on delivery.
Make absolutely sure you’ve got a real address and a working phone number of the seller. Also, return policy must be clear in a case where something you opted for online is not exact of what is delivered to you.
