Car sales and dealerships have been part of our society for a long time. Due to the current economic situation in this country, many young men and women have entered this business. Recently, the level of scams has become alarming, making it difficult to conduct business peacefully.
What I’m about to share has happened to three car dealers in Gowon Estate, Lagos, and I believe it is also occurring in other parts of Lagos. These criminals visit your car lot and take photos of your car. They then inform you that their client will come to inspect the car and plead with you to keep their commission safe, promising to bring more buyers to you.
The problem begins when strangers, sometimes accompanied by plainclothes police officers, arrive at your office with a POS receipt of payment made for your car. These strangers claim that the buyer has paid them after speaking with you. They have used you to enhance their scam.
This situation will likely land you at the police station, and they might even tow some of your cars to the station until the matter is resolved. The person who collected money from the buyer has blocked you, leaving you with no way to prove your innocence. The only evidence they have is your call with the buyer.
How on earth would someone pay for a car they have not physically inspected? No documents have been presented to you, yet they went ahead and paid after seeing mere pictures. Ordinarily, this shouldn’t be a case to worry about, but in our country, things are different. How can a car seller who didn’t receive any payment be held accountable for the sins of a scammer? This can only happen in Nigeria.
The purpose of this write-up is for us to learn and be careful. These criminals are strategizing and perfecting their evil acts. If you are a dealer, kindly follow some of these security tips:
- Register your car company.
- Get a company account.
- Join the car dealers association in your area.
- Hire a sound lawyer.
- Do not send pictures directly to clients. For instance, if your pictures are on Jiji, let them visit Jiji to extract them themselves. Don’t send via WhatsApp.
- Use a recorder on your phone to record conversations. It helps in the end.
- If they ask you to speak with their client, don’t speak to them. If you decide to speak, make it clear that if you don’t receive your payment directly from the buyer, you won’t release the car. If the buyer decides to pay another person, you are not responsible if they get scammed.
Finally, if these scammers have succeeded and trouble is knocking, visit the nearest police post to report the matter. The moment you see strange people accusing you of such acts, don’t hesitate to invite the police immediately. This will give you leverage on the matter. Stay safe, and God bless us all.
