This article talks about how to avoid getting scammed on Jiji. 58.4% of internet users buy something online every week. The current categories with more spending are consumer electronics and fashion. The activity of buying and selling goods and services online is called e-Commerce.
Jiji is an e-Commerce African online marketplace that provides buyers and sellers with a way to meet and exchange goods and services. Jiji was previously known as OLX. It absorbed OLX and now is Jiji. In case some of you were wondering where OLX went, it is now under Jiji or is actually Jiji. Other popular e-Commerce sites in Uganda are Jumia, kikuubo online, bazebo, kikuu etc.
Related:
Step-by-Step: How to sell your products on Jiji Uganda (former OLX)
Contents
Jiji scammers – Things to look out for
Jiji is popular for mostly its cheap electronics –buy used phones. There are plenty of cheap phones out there on jiji. Jiji is an international company with branches in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya etc. You would ask yourself how scammers would be affiliated with Jiji in the first place. The answer is pretty simple! It is in the way sellers sell goods to buyers. Anyone can become a seller on Jiji as long as they have a google account. It is as simple as that. To get buyers for something, all the seller has to do is upload an image of that item and when an interested buyers is interested, they call or send a message to the seller.
That is the end of Jiji’s involvement. Just using their system to buy or sell. This can be done either through the official Jiji Website, their Android app, or the iOS app. They are not involved in whether their sellers actually sell you what they were actually selling. Whether the buyers pay the sellers for their goods or services. This tiny detail has opened room for a lot of scams.
How my brother got scammed on Jiji – and his way out
My brother got scammed a few months back. He bought an iPhone 7 at Ugx 600,000 using Jiji. The seller gave it to him -no receipt issued. After a week, my brother gets arrested –apparently the iPhone 7 was stolen and they were tracking it. He told the police he also bought it from a Jiji seller. The police could not let him go without getting that Jiji seller. So he had to lie to the Jiji seller that he wanted to buy another phone from him so that they could meet up. Fortunately, the Jiji seller agreed to meet up and that is when the police arrested him.
How to avoid getting scammed on Jiji
a) If a Jiji seller is selling you an item, ask for a receipt. In case they do not issue receipts, ask for the receipt they were given when they bought that item they are trying to sell you.
b) In case it is an electronic device you are buying, test it to find out if it works while the seller is still around to make sure that is works perfectly.
c) Agree to meet up in public places with enough people where others can help out in case you are dealing with the wrong people.
d) Do not pay any money before receiving your good or service.
e) If it is too good to be true, then it definitely is. Smartphones that are very cheap compared to their original prices are probably stolen or faulty, try hard to steer clear.
Stay safe and Stay vigilant out there! Everyone is looking for a way to survive, but we don’t want it to be you who is scammed. Share with a colleague out there, so that they avoid getting scammed on jiji too.