There’s a new type of Jiji scam that you need to know about. This scam has been on lately and a lot of people have lost huge sums of money to it. It exploits a loophole in the buying and selling process on this website, a fake seller poses as a real seller, and when he finds a customer, he uses the real seller to deliver the goods. Here is how it works:
Now, scammers go on Jiji and post items that they don’t have and claim to have them. This is how it works:
When most buyers go to the Jiji website to check for an item, they call the number they can find on the seller’s space, and the seller is going to tell you he or she has the item, and that they would be sending a dispatch rider to you. After this, the scammer will then call another genuine seller that has that same item, which you want, and ask them to deliver the item to the delivery details you gave to them.
When the dispatch rider delivers the item to you, you check out the item and call the fake seller who is the scammer, and of course, the person you found the item on their page. You then proceed to make the transfer of the price of the item and after you get debited, you’ll ask the dispatch rider to give the seller a call to confirm that he or she has received the money. After the call placed by the dispatch rider to the real seller of the item, in which he or she would insist on not receiving any money. There and then, the problem starts.
How Can You Avoid This Type of Jiji Scam?
- Watching out for warning signs is one way to avoid this. For instance, it would be suspicious if a phone was ordered as used but was delivered as brand-new. As the saying goes, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Well, it’s simple to say that, now that the benefit of hindsight has been gotten.
- Also, always use the delivery person’s connection anytime, to pay for goods rather than using the contact you found online (since the real buyer usually sends the delivery guy). This will help you avoid falling victim to this scam.
