Deposit scams in Nigeria: artisan, house help and online vendor fraud, and what to do if it happens

You found a plumber on WhatsApp, a house help through an "agent", or a fridge on Instagram. You paid a deposit. Now the number is switched off, or you have been blocked. This guide explains how these scams work, what the official numbers say, and exactly what to do.

How big is fraud in Nigeria?

There is no official count of artisan or house help deposit scams. Most victims never report small losses, and agencies do not publish figures for this exact type. What we do have is data on fraud through banks and on consumer complaints, and it shows a large problem.

Two notes on these numbers. First, these figures only count cases that banks and other institutions report, and many small scams are never reported at all, so real losses are likely higher. Second, a single internal fraud case of about ₦30 billion drove much of the 2024 jump, according to the CBN document reported by Nairametrics. Even without it, losses were still above 2023.

Social engineering is the part that matters most for deposit scams. It means someone persuades you to send the money yourself. No hacking, no stolen PIN. You press "send" because you believed a story.

How do deposit scams in Nigeria work?

The artisan deposit scam

The pattern: an artisan quotes a fair price, asks for 50% to 70% "for materials" or "to mobilise", collects it, maybe comes once, then stops picking calls. Sometimes the number is switched off the same day. Sometimes he comes back weeks later with excuses and asks for more.

Why it works: you need the job done, the price looks reasonable, and asking for materials money is normal in Nigeria. Real artisans ask for it too, which is exactly why fake ones can hide behind it.

The fake agent scam

The pattern: an "agent" offers a house help, nanny, driver or apartment. You pay a registration or inspection fee, sometimes the first month's salary. The worker never shows, or shows for a few days and leaves, and the agent is unreachable.

A variation is the agent who places a worker who then steals from the home. In Lagos, the Domestic Staff Service Providers (Registration) Law, 2019 requires domestic staff agencies to register with the state, and a Lagos official said in June 2025 that it requires employers to use only registered providers (News Agency of Nigeria, Jun 2025). Asking for registration proof filters out many fake agents.

The fake house help or worker

The pattern: a worker uses a borrowed or fake identity. When something goes missing, the name, phone and address all lead nowhere. NIBSS found that about ₦400 million in 2024 fraud proceeds passed through bank accounts opened with stolen identities (Nairametrics, Feb 2025). A name on an account does not always mean that person is real.

The online vendor scam

The pattern: an Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp vendor posts attractive goods at good prices. You pay. The goods never arrive, or something cheaper arrives, and you are blocked. Warning signs include brand new pages, comments switched off, prices far below market and "pay now, only two left".

The fake "assistance" scam

The pattern: someone offers to "help" you complete a transaction, fix a failed transfer or get a refund, then asks for your details or a payment. NIBSS counted 419 "fake assistance" cases with about ₦1.01 billion lost in 2023 (BusinessDay, May 2024). Watch for this after you have been scammed too: "recovery agents" who promise to get your money back for a fee are often the second scam.

How can I protect myself from deposit scams?

1. Never pay full payment up front for a job you have not seen. Pay in stages after inspecting each stage.
2. Pay materials to the shop, not the artisan, or buy them yourself.
3. Match names. The name your bank app shows for the account must match the person's ID. If it is "my brother's account" or "my oga's account", stop.
4. Check the agent. Ask for registration proof and an office address you can visit. Do not pay before you meet the worker.
5. Ask for a live video call with the item or at the work site. Pre-recorded videos and photos are easy to steal.
6. Slow down when pressured. "Pay now or lose it" is a sales trick and a scam trick.
7. Use pay on delivery or escrow with any stranger. Escrow holds the money until you confirm the goods or work, so the other side cannot run with it.
8. Keep records from day one: chats, voice notes, account details, receipts, screenshots of the profile.

Red flags and what to do

On Gikswork, the employer's money is held in escrow, secured by EscrowPay, and released only when the work is done. Workers have their NIN or BVN checked and the name must match their account, and phone numbers stay private until a hire. You can read more on our safety page.

I have been scammed. What should I do right now?

Speed matters most. Money sent to a scammer is usually moved out of the receiving account quickly.

Step 1: Call your bank's fraud line within the hour

1. Call the number on the back of your card or in your banking app. Do not use a number someone sent you.
2. Say clearly: "I have been defrauded. I want to report an authorised push payment fraud."
3. Give the date, time, amount, receiving account number, receiving bank and the session ID from your receipt.
4. Ask the bank to contact the receiving bank to place a hold on the funds.
5. Ask for a complaint or case reference number and write it down.
6. Follow up in writing by email the same day, attaching your receipt and screenshots.

A Nairametrics guide notes that the bank asks the receiving bank to hold the funds, and speed largely decides what happens next (Nairametrics).

NIBSS fraud figures come from what banks and other institutions report. We found no NIBSS channel for members of the public to report a scam directly, so your bank is the way in.

What the CBN's new fraud rules propose

In November 2025, the CBN published draft guidelines for authorised push payment fraud, where you are tricked into sending money yourself. Under the draft, as reported by BusinessDay (2 Dec 2025) and Nairametrics (2 Dec 2025):

• victims should report within 24 hours, with an extra 48-hour grace period in some cases;
• the bank must acknowledge within 24 hours and give a case reference number;
• the sending bank must notify the receiving bank within 30 minutes;
• investigations should end within 14 working days;
• eligible victims should be refunded within 48 hours of the investigation ending;
• the CBN may direct NIBSS to withhold settlement of fraudulent funds.

These were draft rules when reported, and we could not confirm a final version. Either way, they show why reporting fast is your best chance.

Step 2: Make a police report

1. Go to the nearest police division to where the payment or meeting happened.
2. Write a statement with names, numbers, account details, dates and amounts.
3. Attach printed copies of chats, receipts and screenshots.
4. Ask for a copy of the report or the extract. Your bank may ask for it.

Step 3: Report to the EFCC for larger or organised fraud

The EFCC accepts reports through its Eagle Eye app. You download it from the Apple or Google Play store, choose to report a case, describe what happened and upload evidence (Nairametrics, Nov 2021). This is most useful when the same person or page has defrauded many people.

Step 4: Escalate a bank that does not respond to the CBN

If your bank does not resolve your complaint, you can escalate to the CBN's Consumer Protection Department. The CBN advises giving the bank about two weeks first (Nairametrics, Apr 2022). Include:

• your name, address, phone and email;
• the bank's name and your account details (never your PIN or password);
• the date and history of the transaction and the amount;
• supporting documents;
• proof that you complained to your bank first.

The CBN fined financial institutions ₦430 million in 2025 for complaint failures such as slow resolution, and refunds to consumers reached ₦19.12 billion that year (Nairametrics, Jul 2026).

Step 5: Complain to the FCCPC or LASCOPA if a business is involved

If the person who took your money runs a business, such as a shop, a registered agency or an online store, a consumer complaint can help. The FCCPC's process is:

1. Create an account on the FCCPC website or its Consumer Complaint app.
2. Submit your complaint with receipts, agreements and correspondence.
3. Save the tracking code it emails you and use it to follow the case.

You can also complain by email, letter or in person. FCCPC lists 0805 600 2020, 0805 600 3030 and contact@fccpc.gov.ng, and says redress usually takes 1 to 45 days (FCCPC). Try to resolve the issue with the business first, and keep proof that you did.

In Lagos, the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) also takes complaints. It reports resolving 10,474 complaints and recovering more than ₦530 million for consumers between 2018 and September 2025 (Arise News, Oct 2025).

For context, the NBS reported that the FCCPC received 17,776 complaints in 2020, 10,189 in 2021 and 13,580 in 2022 (Nairametrics, May 2024).

Step 6: Warn others, carefully

Share what happened with your estate group or community, but stick to facts you can prove: the account number, the phone number and what happened. Avoid calling anyone a criminal by name before the police or a court has dealt with it.

Worked example: how staged payment limits your loss

Mrs Ada in Surulere needs her bathroom redone for ₦300,000 labour. The artisan asks for ₦210,000 (70%) to start.

Same job, same artisan. The only difference is how the money moves.

Sources

• Nairametrics, 26 Feb 2025: Nigeria's financial sector suffers ₦52.26 billion loss to fraud in 2024, NIBSS report
• Nairametrics, 19 Jun 2026: Bank customers lose ₦134.48 billion to fraud in six years, CBN
• BusinessDay, 3 May 2024: Top tactics scammers used to steal from Nigerians in 2023
• Nairametrics, 26 Feb 2025: Fraudsters steal ₦400 million through accounts opened with stolen identity in 2024
• Nairametrics, 29 Jul 2026: CBN fines banks ₦430 million for ignoring customer complaints
• BusinessDay, 2 Dec 2025: CBN draft rules on reimbursing APP fraud victims
• Nairametrics, 2 Dec 2025: CBN proposes 48-hour reimbursement window after APP fraud investigations
• Nairametrics, 26 Jun 2020: How to get your money back after a wrong bank transfer
• Nairametrics, 25 Apr 2022: How to report your bank to the CBN
• Nairametrics, 11 Nov 2021: EFCC on the Eagle Eye app
• FCCPC: How to file a consumer complaint
• Arise News, 3 Oct 2025: Lagos consumer watchdog resolves 10,474 complaints
• Nairametrics, 22 May 2024: Public complaints on goods and services rise by 45% in three years, NBS
• News Agency of Nigeria, 18 Jun 2025: Lagos on domestic staff registration law