Deal locally, face-to-face —follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.

  • Meet in a Public Place or secured environment.
  • Do not provide payment to anyone you have not met in person.
  • Check the quality of the item(s) and make sure it meets your expectations before making payment
  • Beware of offers involving free shipping – Only deal with locals you can meet in person.
  • Avoid anything that appears too good to be true, such as unrealistically low prices and promises of quick money.
  • Never wire funds (e.g. Western Union) – anyone who asks you to is a scammer.
  • Transactions are between users only, no third party provides a “guarantee”.
  • Never give out financial info (NIN, BVN, etc).
  • Do not rent or purchase sight-unseen—that amazing “deal” may not exist.
  • Refuse background/credit checks until you have met landlord/employer in person.

AVOID

  • Email or text from someone that is not local to your area.
  • Vague initial inquiry, e.g. asking about “the item.” Poor grammar/spelling.
  • Inability users who refuse to meet face-to-face to complete the transaction.

Becareful

1. Someone claims your transaction is guaranteed, that a buyer/seller is officially certified, OR that a third party of any kind will handle or provide protection for a payment:

  • These claims are not certified, as transactions are between users only.
  • The scammer will often send an official looking (but fake) email that appears to come from mykasuwa.com  or another third party, offering a guarantee, certifying a seller, or pretending to handle payments.

2. Distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier’s check:

  • You receive an email or text (examples below) offering to buy your item, pay for your services in advance, or rent your apartment, sight unseen and without meeting you in person.
  • A cashier’s check is offered for your sale item as a deposit for an apartment or for your services.
  • Banks will cash fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, sometimes including criminal prosecution.
  • Scams often pretend to involve a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate,

3. Distant person offers to send you a cashier’s check or money order and then have you wire money:

  • This is ALWAYS a scam in our experience—the cashier’s check is FAKE.
  • Sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not.
  • Scammer often asks for your name, address, etc. for printing on the fake check.
  • Deal often seems too good to be true.

4. Distant seller suggests use of an online escrow service:

  • Most online escrow sites are FRAUDULENT and operated by scammers.
  • For more info, do a google search on “fake escrow” or “escrow fraud.”

5. Distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which they will ship goods:

  • He says he trusts you with the partial payment.
  • He may say he has already shipped the goods.
  • Deal often sounds too good to be true.