A gadget vendor has issued a warning to the public after falling victim to a calculated scam in which a man allegedly posed as a fellow vendor and vanished with an iPhone 13 Pro and the sum of ₦600,000 during a fraudulent phone swap deal in Ikeja, Lagos.
The shocking incident was shared via a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, where it quickly gained traction and elicited reactions from users.
According to the details shared in the post, the man arrived at the vendor’s store accompanied by a woman, claiming they wanted to upgrade her iPhone 13 Pro to a newer iPhone 14 Pro Max that supported eSIM. The suspect confidently presented himself as a legitimate vendor, giving no reason for suspicion at first.
The suspect reportedly inspected the device he intended to receive, and an agreement was reached. He was expected to transfer a balance payment of ₦600,000 after confirming the new phone. However, he told the vendor he needed to step out briefly around 3:43 PM to complete the payment via a nearby bank branch.
A few minutes later, the man returned and informed the vendor that he had changed his mind and would rather use a POS service to finalize the transaction. Seemingly cooperative, he proposed they complete the file transfer between both phones and proceed to activate the eSIM before making the withdrawal.
As it was approaching 5 PM and the eSIM vendor was preparing to close for the day, the main vendor found it difficult to both supervise the woman and follow the suspect. Trusting his new customer, he agreed to let the man handle the payment process while he remained to finalize the eSIM setup.
Unfortunately, that was the last time the man was seen. He disappeared with the iPhone 13 Pro and the ₦600,000 in cash meant to complete the swap deal. It was later discovered that neither the woman nor the vendor had further contact with him.
What has further complicated the issue is the fact that the woman involved in the swap is now accusing the vendor of colluding with the fraudster. She claims she trusted both parties and now feels betrayed by the incident.
In response, the vendor strongly denied any involvement with the scammer and used the opportunity to alert other gadget dealers and the public. He urged everyone to remain vigilant and avoid trusting unknown individuals during high-value transactions, even when they appear professional.
He also pleaded for help in identifying or locating the suspect, stating that any information leading to the fraudster’s whereabouts would be appreciated and could prevent similar crimes in the future.
SEE POST:
1. ⚠️ BEWARE OF THIS GUY ‼️‼️
This guy came to a vendor shop at ikeja pretending to be a vendor. He came with a girl, saying he wanted to swap her iPhone 13 Pro for a 14 Pro Max (eSIM unlocked). pic.twitter.com/xudGgQF1nE
— JOJO GADGETS (@CHEFJOJO001) July 20, 2025
