How to Verify a Business in Nigeria Before You Pay

Many bad payments start the same way. The business looks professional online, the price is good, and the seller is friendly. Then the money is gone. A few simple checks, done before you pay, can change the outcome.

Start with what the business tells you

Write down the business name, address, phone numbers, bank account name, the name of the person you are dealing with and any registration number they give. These are the claims you will check. If the seller is unwilling to give them, that is already a useful signal.

Check that the details agree with each other

• Does the bank account name match the business name or a clearly related person?
• Does the address on the invoice match the address on their social page and website?
• Do the phone numbers work, and does the person who answers know the business?
• Is the registration number one that can be checked through the proper channels?

Look for a real operation

A real business leaves traces. People know it in the area. Customers can describe their experience. There is a shop, an office, a yard or a warehouse that matches the story. Ask for a short video call from the premises, and ask the caller to show the street, the signboard and the stock.

Ask for references you can contact

Ask for two or three recent customers or suppliers and call them yourself. Be careful with references that only exist as screenshots or that the seller insists on contacting for you.

When online checks are not enough

Online information can be copied or invented. When the amount is large, or the business is in another city, the safest check is a physical one. A person goes to the address, sees what is there and reports back with photos. That is the service TrustCheck provides.

Before you pay

• Pay only after the checks you care about are done.
• Avoid paying the full amount in advance where you can.
• Pay to an account that matches the business name.
• Keep all messages, invoices and receipts.