OLX OF FRAUD!

Online exchange popularly known as OLX which operates as a national online classified marketplace for used goods such as furniture, musical instruments, sporting goods, cars, kids and baby items, motorcycles, cameras, mobile phones, property and much more has turned to the best forum for fraudulent activities in Nigeria.

It is accessible through the Internet and through native apps on smartphones. OLX has a presence in over 106 countries with offices and local operations in Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Poland, Peru, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Panama, Switzerland, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Thailand, Philippines, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and others.

Regarded as the next generation of free online classifieds, they have now become the number one avenue for fraudulent transactions where unsuspecting buyers ends up been defrauded of their hard earned money. Originally founded in March 2006 by Internet entrepreneurs Fabrice Grinda and A.C.F. Oxenford and owned by global media and digital company Nasper, users of OLX have been singing so many discordant tunes. On Saturday January 3, 2015, one of the users Ojo Isaac who nearly fell victim narrated his ordeal, “I wanted to buy a blackberry phone on OLX and I got some with good price on the page of a man who identifies his business name as (God’s Grace Communication Ventures) with phone number 08148197457. When I called he was noticeably on the road, (because of the background noise during our conversation) he told me he has a shop at Tin Can Island, opposite Eleganza store. He later said that the place is actually Nigeria Custom Service office, that they are selling contraband goods that was seized by the Custom officials at a give away price. He said I will have to make an initial deposit of #10,000 before the goods are brought and that if I were satisfied with the items, the full payment would be made.  He equally said, “When you get to that Custom area, call me so that I can inform my brother to come and pick you”. But I later discovered that he has fraudulently gotten other unsuspecting customers to send money from different locations, using different names and uploading different mobile numbers on OLX to defraud unsuspecting online buyers”. This buyer who narrowly escaped being duped narrated.

Although, OLX said customers may conduct payment and other transactions through the Website, using third-party vendors such as PayPal, but that its not in any way involved, not a party to or has no control over any element of such transactions, and shall have no liability to any party in connection with such transactions but, (sahara News) has observed that the risk it poses to her users has gone beyond measures.