Safety guide

Golden rule: never pay in full upfront. Every contact reveal on askvenda carries this reminder, because advance payment is how most vendor scams work.

Before you pay or visit

• Call the vendor and confirm the exact area and landmark. Vague answers are a red flag.
• Ask for recent work photos and a written price (a chat or web message counts) before any deposit.
• Prefer shops you can physically visit. For home services, have someone with you.
• For dispatch riders, confirm the rider name, plate, and phone before handing over goods.

Pay in milestones

For tailoring, repairs,events, and building work: agree the total in writing, pay a small commitment deposit only, then pay the balance in steps as work is delivered. Keep every receipt and chat record until the job is done and checked.

Red flags that mean STOP

• Pressure to pay now or lose the slot, especially to a personal account with a different name.
• Refusal to video-call, share a shop address, or show recent work.
• Prices far below every other quote, or fees that keep growing after you pay.
• A vendor asking for your bank OTP, card PIN, or NIN. askvenda never asks seekers for these.

How reporting works

1. Use the report link on the profile (it opens Telegram), or send /report to the bot.
2. Pick a reason: scam, wrong number, closed, wrong category, or other, and add what happened.
3. Safety cases are reviewed within 12 hours. Listings with 3 unique reports auto-hide pending review.
4. You stay anonymous. Vendors never see who reported them.

For vendors: stay safe too

Confirm orders in writing, take deposits before buying materials, meet new customers in public or at your shop during work hours, and report abusive accounts the same way seekers do.

If money already left your hands and you suspect fraud, contact your bank immediately to try a recall, then file a report here and with the police. Speed matters.