Florence Uwaeme
The importance of the internet cannot be overemphasized. Amongst other things, the internet has made life easier for millions of people all over the world. Just like most good things in life, the use of the internet has its pros and cons.
Asides the fact that you can connect with friends and families from anywhere around the world, there are myriad of other things that the use of the internet has helped to make easier. Shopping is one of such things. The fact that you can sit in the comfort of your room place an order of whatever you so wish and get it diverted to you within minutes. Just like most good things, there always comes a time when bad influences infiltrate the good in the process.
If you are a regular online shopper, you must have experienced the bad eggs in the online market or at least, heard about it. Some of these online shop vendors are bent on defrauding unsuspecting shoppers of their hard-earned money. Most times, these bad vendors set-up these shops with just a few goods and once the goods are finished, they keep receiving payments from these shoppers without delivering the goods to them. Some go as far as closing down that particular social media handle or they block the defrauded customer from all their social media accounts.
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If you’ve ever been a victim of this fraud, there is no need to panic because this article will guide towards easy steps to retrieve your money. Don’t leave it to God because they’ll do the same thing to other unsuspecting shoppers.
Easy Steps To Follow
- Screenshot all previous chats across all messaging App; Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, SMS
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Write out the full name and account number of the page or person
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Go to the last notification your bank sent you after you made the payment (via mobile app or text)
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Go to the last notification your bank sent you after you made the payment (via mobile app or text) copy out the “TRANSACTION ID NUMBER”.
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Go to any branch of the scam artist’s bank (the bank the scammer uses), ask to see the customer service in charge of fraud.
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If you can, print out all those chats with the scammer, and submit it. While you are there, send an email to the scammer’s Bank and copy the CBN fraud desk (anticorruptionunit@cenbank.org). this will ginger the bank to do the needful.
The culprit/suspect’s account will be placed on hold /Frozen. Meaning he/she cannot transfer or withdraw until they visit the bank, and when they do, the bank will contact the police. Once this is done, the criminal will have no choice than to visit his/her bank for rectification and will be handed over to the police. He/she will be made to return your money to you.
