How to Report an Instagram Vendor Scam in Nigeria

In April 2026, the Nigeria Customs Service warned the public about an Instagram account selling "discounted" vehicles under the name J. O Attah Autos. The handle looked official, the profile photo showed a real Customs officer, and the account falsely claimed a link to the Service. The Customs advice was simple: do not pay, and report the account.

That last instruction is the one most victims skip. After losing money, many people block the page, feel embarrassed and move on. Meanwhile, the same vendor renames the account and starts again with fresh victims.

Knowing how to report an Instagram vendor scam properly changes that. A good report can get a page removed, flag the account that received your money, and add your case to evidence that investigators can use. This guide shows you exactly where to report, in what order, and what to include so your report counts.

Why Reporting Instagram Vendor Scams Matters

Online shopping complaints are not rare. Between March and August 2025, the FCCPC said it resolved 9,091 consumer cases and recovered over ₦10 billion, with e-commerce among the most complained-about sectors. Every resolved case started with someone reporting.

Reporting also protects people you will never meet. Instagram can only act on accounts it knows about, banks can only flag accounts that are reported, and police can only connect cases when victims come forward. Your report may be the one that links a scam page to dozens of other victims.

How Instagram Vendor Scams Usually Work

1. The polished storefront. Professional photos, often stolen from real brands, with thousands of followers and glowing comments.

2. The irresistible price. Phones, sneakers, hair, gadgets or cars far below market price, sometimes with "limited stock" pressure.

3. The move to DMs and WhatsApp. Conversations leave the public page so there is less record.

4. Payment first. Transfer to a personal account, with excuses about why pay-on-delivery is "not available".

5. The disappearing act. After payment come delays, extra fees or a block. The page may then change its name.

Consider Damilola in Abuja (an illustrative example). She pays ₦95,000 for a pair of designer sneakers from a page with 40,000 followers. After a week of "dispatch delays", the vendor blocks her. She screenshots the page before it disappears, reports it on Instagram, calls her bank and files a police report the same evening. Two other buyers later contact her after seeing her public warning.

Signs You Have Hit a Scam Page

• Prices far below every other seller.

• Only payment before delivery, into a personal account.

• Comments are turned off, or all comments look generic.

• The page was created or renamed recently.

• Product photos appear on other brands' pages.

• The vendor refuses video calls or live proof of the item.

• Extra "dispatch", "clearance" or "insurance" fees after payment.

• The vendor blocks you when you ask questions.

How Do You Report an Instagram Vendor Scam in Nigeria?

To report an Instagram vendor scam in Nigeria, first screenshot the profile, posts, chats and payment details. Then call your bank's fraud line, report the account and messages inside Instagram, and file a police report on the NPF National Cybercrime Centre portal. You can also report to the EFCC and, for real businesses, the FCCPC.

Step 1: Save the evidence before you do anything else

Scam pages vanish quickly, and blocking or being blocked can hide content from you. Before you report or block, capture:

• The profile page, including the handle, name, follower count and bio

• The handle itself written down exactly, since names can change but you will want the original

• Product posts, prices and any promises

• All DMs and WhatsApp chats, voice notes and call logs

• The account name, number and bank you paid into

• Your transfer receipt and bank alert

Save copies to email or cloud storage, not just your phone.

Step 2: Call your bank's fraud line

If you sent money, this is urgent. Call the official fraud number on your bank's app or card. Give the transaction details and ask the bank to flag the receiving account and attempt a recall. Write down your complaint reference number.

Step 3: Report the account and messages on Instagram

Open the vendor's profile, tap the menu at the top of the profile and choose Report, then follow the prompts and pick the option that best describes a scam or fraud. You can also report individual posts and messages. Instagram explains the process in its guide to reporting a post or profile.

If the page is pretending to be a real business, public figure or agency, as in the Customs case, the genuine organisation or person can use Instagram's impersonation report form. If you are the business being copied, report it there yourself.

Report once, accurately. If other victims come forward, encourage them to report from their own accounts with their own evidence.

Step 4: File a police report

File a report on the NPF National Cybercrime Centre's e-reporting portal or at your nearest police station. Include:

• The Instagram handle and profile link

• Account names, numbers and banks you paid into

• Dates, amounts and a short timeline

• Phone numbers and WhatsApp numbers used

• Your bank's complaint reference number

• Screenshots of the page, chats and receipts

Step 5: Report to the EFCC or FCCPC where relevant

You can also report financial fraud to the EFCC through its official channels. If the vendor is a genuine, registered business that took your money and refused to deliver or refund, you can file a complaint with the FCCPC through its official portal. A free CAC company search by name helps you confirm whether the business is registered.

Step 6: Warn others, responsibly

Sharing your experience can stop the next victim, but stick to facts you can prove. Post the handle, what happened and that you have reported it. Avoid publishing personal details of the account holder: the name on the bank account may belong to someone whose identity was misused. Tell the real brand if its photos or name were stolen.

Where to Report and What Each Channel Does

A Simple Report Template

Use this as a starting point for your police, bank or regulator report:

On [date], I paid ₦[amount] to [account name], [bank], account number [number], for [item] advertised by the Instagram account @[handle] ([profile link]). The vendor communicated through Instagram DMs and WhatsApp on [phone number]. After payment, the vendor [blocked me / demanded extra fees / did not deliver]. I reported the transaction to [bank] on [date], reference [number]. Screenshots of the profile, chats and receipts are attached.

Where Profiled Fits

Reporting helps after the fact. Verification helps before it. Profiled Nigeria's business and vendor verification services help you confirm that a seller is real before you pay, combining data intelligence, automated validation and human review. DigiLock, our mobile fraud-intelligence solution, is built as a multi-fraud intelligence grid to help Nigerians understand the scam patterns targeting them. For the checks you can do yourself, read our guides on how to know if a WhatsApp vendor is legit and how to verify online sellers in Nigeria.

What to Expect After You Report

• Instagram reviews reports and may remove content or accounts that break its rules. It does not usually share the outcome in detail.

• Your bank may ask for a police report and follow up with the receiving bank. Keep your reference number and follow up in writing.

• The police and EFCC may contact you for more information. Investigations can take time, especially when several victims are involved.

• Watch for recovery scams. Anyone who contacts you offering to "recover" your money for a fee is almost certainly another scammer.

Reporting will not always bring your money back, but it makes it harder for the scammer to keep going.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a scam vendor on Instagram? Open the vendor's profile, tap the menu at the top and choose Report, then select the option that best describes a scam or fraud. You can also report specific posts and messages. Save screenshots before reporting, because the page may disappear or change its name soon after.

Will the scammer know I reported them on Instagram? Instagram says reports about posts and profiles are anonymous to the account being reported, except for some intellectual property reports. Even so, keep your evidence private until you have reported to your bank and the police, and avoid confronting the vendor directly.

Can Instagram get my money back? No. Instagram can review and remove scam accounts and content, but it does not handle refunds for payments made by bank transfer. To try to recover money, call your bank's fraud line immediately and file a police report through the NPF National Cybercrime Centre portal or at a police station.

Where do I report online shopping fraud in Nigeria? Report to your bank first if you paid, then to the police through the NPF National Cybercrime Centre portal or a police station. You can also report financial fraud to the EFCC. If a genuine registered business failed to deliver or refund, file a complaint with the FCCPC through its official portal.

Should I post the scammer's details online? Share the facts: the Instagram handle, what happened and that you have reported it. Avoid posting personal details of the bank account holder, because scammers often use accounts opened with other people's identities. Your goal is to warn others accurately, not to target someone who may not be the scammer.

Conclusion

When you report an Instagram vendor scam in Nigeria, you do more than vent. You give Instagram a reason to remove the page, your bank a reason to flag the account, and investigators evidence to connect cases. Save the evidence first, act fast with your bank, report in the app and file with the police.

Then make verification your habit for every future purchase. Profiled Nigeria's vendor verification and DigiLock help you check sellers before your money moves. Learn more about Profiled Nigeria and our mission.

Remember: screenshot first, report everywhere, verify next time.

Verify before you pay. Create your free Profiled account today.