Nigerian Lady Who Wanted to Change Her $500 Cash to Naira Shares How She Got Scammed: "Please Learn"
- A lady, Gift Nkechi Imasuen, has recounted how a money changer scammed her out of the $500 (N765k) she wanted to convert to naira
- According to the lady, she withdrew the dollars and visited the money changer as she needed it to pay for something urgent
- After they had reached an agreement to exchange the dollars at a rate of N1,600, something unexpected happened
Gift Nkechi Imasuen, a Nigerian lady, has shared how a money changer scammed her out of $500 (N765k), urging people to learn from her mistake.
Gift said she had withdrawn the dollars to pay for something urgent.
Source: Facebook
She could not have her regular money changer convert the dollars due to the rush she was in, as well as how far his location was, causing her to approach a dealer around her bank.
Money changer scams lady of $500
After haggling with the money changer, she said they agreed to change the dollars at a rate of N1,600.
She said she handed the man the dollars while he was taking her account details down. However, he would exclaim minutes later that the money she handed him was $500 and he had thought it was $5,000 (N7.6 million).
Eventually, the money changer said he would not buy her dollars anymore unless she agreed to sell at N1,570.
She decided to patronise her money changer who was far away. He transferred N800k to her when he saw her, but screamed after she handed him the $500.
It was then she realised her original dollar bills might have been swapped for counterfeits by the first money changer. That was how she lost her money.
Her story in full read:
"Sometime last month…
"I withdrew $500 because I needed to pay for something that day and was in a rush.
"Because of how urgent it was, I couldn’t use my regular aboki, had to look for one around the bank I used.
"After plenty back and forth, we agreed on 1600 as the rate.
"Forgetting that this wasn’t the aboki I already had a relationship with, I handed him the dollars while he was still collecting my account details.
"Not even a few minutes later, the aboki looked up and said, “Ah! Na $500? I think say na $5000.”
$5k how?
"Next thing, he said he wasn’t buying again unless I’d agree to sell for 1570.
"Knowing I wouldn’t meet up with where I needed the money that day again,
"I decided to just kuku take my money back (big mistake), go to my usual aboki whose place was far from where I was, and then handle what I needed the money for the next day.
"When I got there, my regular aboki, who I’d already spoken to on the phone, saw me and immediately transferred 800k to me in exchange for the $500.
"I got the alert, handed him the dollars, only for him to shout… that the money was fake.
"What happened?
"The first aboki had switched the bills.
"Why didn’t I go back to the first aboki?
"Even if the distance isn’t far, will he ever accept that he was the one who switched the money?
"I just accepted my loss and picked my lesson, which is…
"Never hand over your dollars to an aboki until you’ve received the alert.
"Please learn from my mistake."
Why she didn't return to first money changer
When quizzed about why she didn't go back to the first money changer over her suspicion, she told Legit.ng:
"It was on a Friday, withdrew the money at VI, and got the aboki around there. Left after he negotiated 1570 without checking to Ikeja Allen and got there around 7. Infact, my aboki was waiting for me that day.
"Now imagine going back to the first Aboki in VI that night or the next day. He won't accept. Plus, I was told he may likely turn the story around and call the police for me, since he already had enough time to change and separate the note from him.
"And I don't have a video or picture evidence of him changing it."
Source: Facebook
Gift Nkechi Imasuen's unpleasant experience triggers reactions
Legit.ng has compiled some reactions to the lady's terrible experience below:
Adia Ima Imaobong said:
"So sorry about that. It's also better to stick to your particular mallam, no matter what but some people are wicked."
Nkem Ogwu said:
"Make that Aboki loss if na my case. When i gave you real dollar., how manage i now have fake dollar 💵.
"Deadbody go surplus 😔."
Eniola M. Adeniji said:
"So sorry to hear that sis.
"They really do that. I’ve had the experience once also during that money scarcity saga in Lagos. I had soldiers carried him o, he refunded my money after plenty fight that day. Because I collected 2k dollar from Gtbank and had tried to change 500. So we went back to confirm that at the bank. It was so much drama that day and thank God my regular exchange guy eventually arrived there also and told them we’ve done business for over 4 years. Very crazy lots."
Idaewor Sandra said:
"Coach no leave am like that, this is how he will be doing to other people, set him up with more dollars."
Idogun Sam Idogun said:
"Always video or snap the serial numbers of your foreign currencies before you exchange it over the counter or anywhere.
"Just a rule of thumb."
Franca Nwakaego said:
"Ehya.. So sorry for the loss. Some of these abokis are heartless. That was how did to me last year.. I almost cried and the painful part was that hubby wasn't with me that day because na him de show them..his appearance no kuku de friendly 😂.
"It was one of the abokis that has good heart who was there when that aboki did the wayo he did to me that eventually helped me out of the mess that fraudulent aboki did to me. One needs to shine eyes when trading with these abokis because some of them are fraudulent."
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a lady who sent dollars to her family from abroad was excited over the amount they would receive in naira.
Bank rejects lady's $100 due to stain
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a lady was amazed after a bank rejected her $100.
She attributed the rejection to the stain on the dollar bill, saying she didn't know that it could lead to the rejection of the money.
She said she did not know that her lipstick had opened and stained the foreign currency note. On her return to her office, she said she cleaned the stain and would return to the bank to deposit the rejected money again.
Source: Legit.ng
