IN SHORT: Nigerian online store Jumia says it will never ask customers to make an upfront payment before their orders are placed. Any Facebook page asking users to do this should be ignored.
“PROMO !!! PROMO !!! PROMO !!!ENJOY 50% DISCOUNT ON INFINIX HOT 30, CUSTOMERS WITH VOUCHERS,FLASH SALES,AND SPECIAL DEALS ON JUMIA SHOPPING,” reads part of a post by the Facebook page Jumia site.
Jumia is a Nigerian-based online store that was established in 2012. According to its website, Jumia offers over six million products and is Nigeria’s biggest online mall.
The post has received over 180 comments, mostly from users showing interest in the promotion.
Similar offers have been published here, here, here, here and here.
But is the page and its promotions legit? We checked.
Jumia promo
The Facebook page in question – Jumia site – has just more than a thousand followers and was created on 22 June 2023. This is surprisingly few followers and strangely recent for a company that is over 10 years old.
Africa Check found the company’s verified page, Jumia, with over 19 million likes. It was created in 2012, the same year the company was launched. The social media account links found at the bottom of the Jumia website also led us to the verified Facebook account.
The Facebook post by the suspicious page asks users to reach out to the mobile number provided to claim the discount. Once users send a message to the number, they’re instructed to pay a fee before their order can be placed. This is fraudsters’ way of stealing money from unsuspecting users.
Jumia has previously warned customers against this: “Kindly discard any request to pay money before your order is placed. Jumia will never ask customers to pay any money before orders are placed.”
A representative of the company told Africa Check that Jumia is “not affiliated” with the page running the promotion. “We are always taking the necessary precautionary measures to protect our esteemed customers,” said the rep.
The rep also said orders should be placed directly on the company’s website or the Jumia mobile app.
To help protect yourself against online scams, read our guide to Facebook scams and how to spot them.
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