To live in Lagos is to live in utter distrust. You always have to be alert and assume that the well-dressed person trying to get your attention at the bus stop is out to scam you.
Everyone in the city is “always guiding” in order not to end up as the proverbial “maga.” So, how do you protect yourself in a place full of scammers and conmen? How do you prevent yourself from being the reason for someone’s “unwarranted blessings?” We’ve got you covered.
Always Mind Your Business
When two people are arguing in a spot, a cab or a bus, it’s in your best interest that you ignore them. Don’t try to settle it or hear the gist, just focus on yourself and where you’re going.
The moment you try to get involved, you might find yourself without a phone or wallet or you might hear that they have two big bags of dollars in the boot that they want to share with you. All I can say is, run o!
It sounds like a ridiculous situation now, but trust me, it’s not that simple. You could end up in Ogbomosho, being forced to withdraw all your life savings.
Verify Before You Pay
Whether it’s an online vendor or a travel agent promising you that they’ll get you to Canada and make you a prime minister in two working days, you have to verify their authenticity before you part with your money.
For online vendors, you can check their comments and reviews. What do people have to say about them? How many people engage their posts? How many times have they changed their usernames? You can also search Twitter to see if they’ve ever been mentioned for something suspicious. These checks will help you decide if you should take the risk or not.
For agents, it’s pretty hard to determine if an agent is real or fake. The easiest way to know is by their promises. If it’s too good to be true, it’s most likely not true. Agents that carry you along and give you a breakdown of all the processes are better than the ones who ask you to “pay and relax.” You can also ask people who are abroad for referrals on the agents they used.
Sweet Stories Are Risky
In Lagos, there’s a formula that you should know, the sweeter the story, the better the con. When someone has an interesting story and is obviously a great storyteller, you should have your guard up.
It’s either they’re telling the truth or they’ve done this many times before. I’m sure you don’t want to be the one to find out that it’s the latter. You can give out money if you feel like it but studies have shown (don’t ask me which) that 8 out of 10 times, the sob stories you hear are usually false. Just enjoy the story, smile and move on.
Be Stingy With Your Clicks
This is for online scams. Not clicking a link can be the reason why you still have your Instagram, or Twitter account. Online scammers can hijack an account and share a link to all the connected accounts in order to steal them too.
If you find a link suspicious or you can’t determine what is on the other side, ask what it is before you click it. Even if it’s someone you trust, you need to ask because it might not really be them behind the messages.
Corporate Beggars Are Not A Myth
Begging is an entire industry in Lagos. Some beggars even have conglomerates where they send people out to beg in different localities and remit the money after. If you’re observant, you might notice some of them in one spot, usually close to an ATM gallery or bank, saying the same story of being stranded on their way to Ekiti every day. Avoid them and save your money for real underprivileged people.
These tips are not exhaustive and there are still many other ways that scammers have invented to rid you of your hard-earned money in Lagos. Always be vigilant and keep your spidey senses up.
We hold a biweekly Twitter Space on Saturday mornings called Hacking Lagos to talk about Lagos and how you can navigate life in the city that never sleeps. Don’t miss it.