Jiji is a free classified site in Uganda. The platform provides buyers and sellers with an avenue to meet and exchange goods and services. Buyers can find and buy used products at lower prices, and sellers can sell off products they no longer need, from used electronics to second-hand shoes. Jiji offers services in the following categories; fashion, electronics, real estate, agriculture, jobs, services, mobile phones, computers etc. One would describe this platform as a godsend for its free services.
However, many people, including myself, would cry anytime someone mentioned Jiji Uganda. This is courtesy of some audacious Jiji conmen who have devised means of conning people through the platform. The fraud on Jiji is largely attributed to the platform’s business model, which offers no buyer/seller protection. Transaction on Jiji is done offline between a buyer and seller, and whatever happens offline between a buyer and a seller is none of Jiji’s business.
In this article, I will share the experience that led to losing my powerful camera. I will also list some steps you should take to avoid being conned as a Jiji seller.
Also read; Top 12 Online Scams in Uganda and How to Avoid Them
Tricks Jiji Conmen use and how to avoid getting conned
1. Check the number of the potential buyer.
Normally, potential buyers will spot your advertisement on Jiji, and they will contact you through the number you provided on the platform. When a potential buyer calls you, and you establish they are interested in your product, do the following:
- Ask what their full is and write it down.
- Check their number; if it is not MTN or Airtel, demand that they contact you using their MTN or Airtel number.
- If it is either MTN or Airtel number, tell them to call you back after 10mins. Cut the call.
- Check the names that their number is registered in. You can do so by trying to send UGX 500/- to the number via mobile money and cancel before remittance. The name it shows should match what they provided.
MTN and Airtel have a number registration system that requires every Simcard to be connected to an ID. It is hard for conmen to use MTN or Airtel numbers registered in their names for their con-artistry. If anything goes wrong, you have a higher chance of tracing the owner of an MTN or Airtel Simcard than any other.
Also read; How to Shop Online Like a Pro: 10 Expert Tips
2. Take full control of organizing the meetup.
Once you have established the authenticity of the potential buyer, take charge of the meetup. First, ask them where they are. This will help you decide whether you will meet. If they are within the same vicinity, think of a place with the following features;
- A place very familiar to you
- A public place with a lot of activity
- A place with open seats
- A place with good security personnel and CCTV cameras if possible.
Such places may include hotels, malls, restaurants, inside institutions etc. NEVER EVER meet at a place chosen by the seller. It would be best if you chose the meeting place. Jiji conmen usually choose places they are familiar with and know they can easily escape after stealing from you. Also, choose a neutral place, a place that both of you can access.
3. Request your friend(s) to accompany you during the meetup
The more you are, the better and the safer. It is never a crowd when you are about to sell an asset that belongs to you. So take as many buddies as possible when linking up with the buyer you connected with through Jiji. When you are two or more, the Jiji conmen will have difficulty convincing multiple people of different perspectives into their fraud game. People operating in a group have a group mentality that can openly display confidence and cockiness, which a Jiji con artist would find hard to deal with. It’s better not to get an interested buyer than go to a meetup alone. You would be risking so much.
4. If the buyer is nicely dressed and has a car, RUN
Con artists of this generation are women and men in suits who play mind games and the games of confidence to win people’s hearts and swindle their hard-earned money and assets without the victims noticing. These don’t use force or crude weapons like guns. They dress very smart, speak fluently with confidence and behave very professionally, a perfect presentation of tactics that would make you earn full trust in them.
If you get in touch with a person, ask yourself, if this seemingly well-off person wanted the item I’m selling, why wouldn’t they buy a new one? I was selling a UGX 1.5M camera to a man dressed in an expensive Italian suit, vintage leather boots, and classic wristwatch, and he was driving what seemed like a Toyota Corolla Hatchback. The camera I was selling goes for UGX 2M brand new. Honestly, what is 2M to this man?
5. Do not handshake your potential buyer or make physical contact.
I know this is surprising to many of you, but what I can tell you is never wait for experience to teach you these stories you hear. I have heard stories of people with extraordinary powers that enable them to influence people just by a mere handshake. Stories say the moment you handshake with these people, you lose a sense of events around you which enables them to manipulate you into doing anything they want.
I’m this kind of guy who has always been very cautious with my gadgets, and because of this, I had never lost anything to conmen until that fateful day. On that particular day, I later realized that the moment I shook hands with the Jiji conman disguised as a true buyer, I became comfortable with him and trusted whatever he told me. I even stupidly got into his car, which is my next point. Avoid physical contact with strangers and don’t have prolonged eye contact with them. Demonic powers are real.
6. Never get into their car.
This law has always been told to us since we were kids. It is a simple yet very elusive law. Never enter a stranger’s car unless it is a taxi and you want to get home or to a certain destination. To emphasize my previous point, it was my first time breaking this law. I surely believe I was not in control of my actions. If a potential buyer prefers discussing the deal in their car, they are likely to be a con artist. Insist on discussing outside the car environment. If they refuse, walk away.
7. If you receive calls from people offering you more money for the product, RUN.
Again, on that fateful day I got conned, I received calls from four people. These four people were offering more money for my camera in what seemed like a bidding contest. I was excited that I was going to bag more from a camera I seemed to have undervalued. I got so obsessed with the money I was about to make; little did I know that these calls were from people who actually belonged to the same network of conmen.
These calls are meant to divert you from knowing that you have a product; that they need you. They put you in the illusion that they have the money; hence, you need them. If you ever get such calls for something you sell on Jiji, immediately call off the meetup, go home and chill. You will thank me later!
Also read; Buying Used Items Online in Uganda: 7 Expert Tips
Additional tips to avoid being scammed on Jiji
On Jiji, not only do buyers scam, but the platform also has fake sellers that list fake or nonexistent items aimed at cheating and robbing unsuspecting buyers. These tips apply to both buyers and sellers:
Safety Tips for Jiji sellers
- While discussing the details with the buyer before the meetup, do it via texting and not calls. Texting gives you enough time and space to use critical thinking.
- Request the buyer to come with their national ID or Passport for identity and accountability purposes
- Consider everyone a fraudster until they prove their credibility and legitimacy by accepting your terms.
- Do not accept half payment. Only hand over the item after the buyer has made the full payment.
- Do not accept payment by cheque or mobile money. Demand cash. Also, ensure that you are not given counterfeit money.
Safety Tips for Jiji buyers
- Inspect the item thoroughly before paying.
- Never pay for the item before seeing it; only pay for an item you have seen and are completely satisfied with.
- Never send money to a seller for delivery.
- Do not meet a seller in an isolated place. Only meet in a safe public place such as a mall or restaurant.
- Do not carry cash when going to meet the seller. Conmen can kidnap you and force you to surrender the money at gunpoint. To be safer, view the item, walk to a bank or any cash point with the seller, withdraw cash, do a sale agreement, receive the item, and then hand the cash to them.
Also read; Online Shopping Scams: How to Get Your Money Back
Final thoughts
Now you know the tricks Jiji conmen use and how to avoid getting scammed. If possible, avoid categories like services, real estate and jobs. These categories have the biggest number of conmen. Don’t be duped into buying fake land, fake house or fake property. House brokers advertise nonexistent houses and take broker fees from you or fool you into paying rent to a fake landlord. The same applies to jobs. There’s hardly any real job on Jiji. Don’t fall into that trap. Stay safe while shopping or selling on Jiji.
Also read; Online Shopping Safety: 15 Ways Jumia is Protecting Customers
Have you been scammed on Jiji before? Or has a Jiji conman attempted to con you but failed? Please share your experiences and the tricks they used in the comments below.
