Social media as we know it has served as a medium for unity. It has assisted heavily in the movement for change in every aspect you could think of, it has influenced politics and decision making and for many of us; continually serves as an enlightening tool.

It is also no surprise that multiple applications keep springing up weekly and probably even daily, with everyone wanting to be the next Mark Zuckerburg, therefore we have the likes of Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn and so many others with these few leading the pack. I think it’s safe to say that anyone who isn’t on any of these platforms is definitely living under a rock.

With the increasing popularity of social media, it has become apparent for business owners to have accounts on each platform, not only to be closer to their customers/clients but also, reach out and market product and services to new and existing customers.
So many companies such as Bolt, Zuta.ng, including small business owners have tapped into the reality of social media as the closest market place. Products such as hair, shoes, bags, laptops, phones, and much more are sold on Instagram using just photos and videos. If you’re a shopping addict like me then you know making up your mind on a particular vendor to purchase the product or service you want is a major sport.

Well here are 4 tips to avoid getting scammed by an Instagram Vendor:

• ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS: So you’ve seen a vendor you like, what’s the first step? Send a DM (direct message). Here’s a preview-‘Hello, my name is Gerry and I’ll like to pay for this bag. How do I go about it?’. Ask if they have an office or a physical shop, preferably ask if you could pick-up your item (if you do not mind). Ask for a bank account to make a deposit into. I especially recommend this shopping platform @zutamall on both Instagram and Twitter, they are very swift in responding to direct messages.


• VERIFY EVERY GIVEN INFORMATION: The essence of multiple social media platforms is to get the opinions of everyone, so if you’re not satisfied with the vendors response or maybe you are still unsure as to whether to go on to make payment for the product. Then ask for opinions of others on a different platform about the brand. Platforms like Twitter and Nairaland come in really handy in situations like this. Other people’s knowledge about the brand would make your decision easier, you will find out about their customer service, how quickly or late do they deliver, if they have been involved in some scam/disappointment in the past. My friend in Abuja had recommended I try out www.zuta.ng to shop for my sister;s matriculation and they came through on everything I needed.


• GO THROUGH THE PAGE AGAIN: It is okay to request for live image of the product you want to buy in order to avoid ‘What I ordered VS What I received’ stories. This is very important most especially if you notice that the images on the vendor’s page looks like it is taken out of another or multiple vendor pages. DO NOT BE SCARED TO ASK QUESTIONS, OR SEEK CLARIFICATIONS; IT IS YOUR MONEY!


• CROSS CHECK THE BANK ACCOUNT: A lot of people fall short of this on a normal day, from thinking you’ve made a recharge of N1000 to getting a deposit of N10,000 or even worse, sending money to a different account. So please make sure that the account number is put in precisely, and that the bank account name matches that of the seller or the account name on Instagram. On an extreme length, you could call the bank to verify the account hasn’t been involved in any scam activity or had a recent change of name.

I hope you find these tips helpful and avoid becoming the next Instagram scam victim, we want your money safe.
For a safe online shopping experience visit www.zuta.ng and happy shopping.