Criminals advertise their fraud through online marketing platform – Police

Etim Ekpimah

The Zone 2 Command in charge of Lagos and Ogun states has uncovered how fraudsters connect buyers and sellers of cars and other valuables on a popular online marketing platform Jiji.ng.com to defraud Nigerians.

The Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, SP Hauwa Idris Adamu, on Monday, told the public that the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos State, had received a series of petitions about the criminal gangs’ modus operandi.

According to her, the criminals would contact prospective sellers, who advertise such cars/items on Jiji.ng.com acting like genuine buyers by indicating interest in such cars/items, while they make inquiries about such car/items after which they display the same car/item for sales on the same platform.

“They act like genuine sellers to their prospective victims and give such cars/items at cheaper prices in order to entice their prospective victims with the information from the original owners.

“They, then supply necessary information about the cars/item to the prospective victim and lure them into making the payment; they would then arrange how the prospective victim and the real owners of such cars/items would meet for inspection/delivery; giving the owner/seller the impression that payment would be made upon satisfaction of the car/items.

“When it has been confirmed that cars/items have been inspected/delivered to the prospective victim, the fraudster, then goes incommunicado while the owner/seller will be having issues with the prospective victim who already made payment to the fraudsters.

“Based on the above, the Command is sending this to the general public as awareness; so, no one will be a victim of the antics of fraudsters who pretend as online sellers,” she said.

She, however, warned all criminally-minded groups or individuals to relocate from the zone, adding that such criminally-minded individuals would not find it easy to operate within the zonal command.