7 Tourist Scams in Lagos

You're trying to get from Victoria Island to Ikeja and decide to take a minibus (danfo) that appears to have other passengers already inside. As the bus pulls away, the doors lock and the other 'passengers' reveal themselves as armed gang members. They demand your phone, wallet, jewelry, and ATM card. They drive to multiple ATMs where they force you to withdraw your daily limit. The entire ordeal can last hours. This is the infamous 'One Chance' robbery — named because victims have only 'one chance' to escape before the doors close. The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) published an investigation titled 'One Chance: How Danfo Drivers Are Robbing Passengers in Lagos' documenting how criminals use fake minibuses and unmarked taxis. The Conversation published an academic analysis of how 'criminal gangs rob city commuters' using this method. Punch newspaper reported that Lagos police arrested one-chance robbers who used POS (point-of-sale) machines to force victims to transfer money from their bank accounts. Within Nigeria reported a case where a man was abducted for two days after boarding a 'one chance' bus. Vanguard News documented victims' accounts of being driven to undisclosed locations where their bank accounts were emptied. The Nigerian Voice and Business Day both reported on the 'rising spate of one-chance in Nigerian cities,' noting that criminals use unmarked vehicles, sometimes with foreign number plates at the rear, and that the accomplices posing as passengers are the key to the trap — making the vehicle appear safe and legitimate.

You arrive at Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a man in a vest approaches you in the arrivals area, calling out your name from a handwritten sign. He says he's been sent by your hotel. He grabs your luggage and leads you to a car in the parking area. Only after you're in the vehicle and driving do you realize this isn't your hotel's driver — and the ride suddenly becomes a negotiation. He demands 30,000-50,000 naira (40-65 USD) for a trip that should cost 5,000-10,000 naira. In worse scenarios documented by the UK Foreign Office, 'criminals posing as greeters' have robbed passengers in transit. The UK GOV.UK travel advice for Nigeria specifically warns: 'If you are expecting a greeter or driver to collect you at Nigeria's international airports, make sure they properly identify themselves before you set off.' Nairametrics published an investigation titled 'How government agencies extort international passengers in Lagos and Abuja airports,' documenting how both fake and real officials shake down arriving foreigners. World Nomads' Nigeria safety guide advises that 'shady characters often roam the airport looking for a gullible person to defraud or rob' and recommends that travelers 'arrange airport transfers with someone you know and trust, or book a hotel car.' WikiForTravel's Lagos scam guide notes that 'currency exchange scams offering terrible rates or miscounting notes' also operate in the arrivals hall, alongside drivers quoting '5-10x the normal rate to foreigners.' The safest approach is pre-arranging airport pickup through your hotel, a verified contact, or using the Uber/Bolt apps from the designated ride-share pickup area.

Your driver is taking you from Victoria Island to the airport when the car is stopped at a police checkpoint. An officer in uniform approaches the window and asks for your documents. He examines your passport and suddenly claims there's a 'problem' — maybe your visa looks irregular, or you need a 'transit permit,' or he says you're carrying too much cash (even though you're not). He suggests you can resolve this with an on-the-spot payment of 10,000-50,000 naira to avoid being detained. Human Rights Watch published a comprehensive report titled 'Everyone's in on the Game: Corruption and Human Rights Abuses by the Nigeria Police Force' documenting systematic extortion at checkpoints. The Guardian Nigeria reported that there are over 130 police checkpoints along routes in Lagos, where 'police, LASTMA and VIOs compete for space to control checkpoints.' Nigerians shared their daily ordeal with Independent Newspaper, describing how 'refusal to settle is met with threats of detention, seizure of phones or vehicles, or the fabrication of allegations.' Pravda Nigeria documented footage showing a Nigerian police officer 'openly trying to extort money from a tourist from the Netherlands.' The officers involved — Jimoh Lukman and Kareem Fatai — were subsequently dismissed, but checkpoint extortion remains widespread. The scale is industrial: a couple traveling from Lagos in December 2025 were stopped at a checkpoint in Ogudu and asked to pay the equivalent of $2,000 before being released, according to news reports.

You stop at an ATM on Victoria Island to withdraw cash. A man approaches and helpfully points out that you should use a different machine because 'this one has high fees.' As you move to the other machine, he positions himself to watch you enter your PIN while his partner distracts you with conversation. Later, a cloned copy of your card is used to drain your account. In more aggressive scenarios, armed individuals have forced victims at ATMs to withdraw their daily limit and hand over the cash. The Conversation published an academic analysis titled 'How Nigerian ATM fraud victims are swindled,' documenting that victims are robbed by armed gangs who 'force them to insert their cards to confirm PIN numbers and balances, then depart with the cards and drain accounts.' The UK GOV.UK Nigeria travel advice warns that 'areas around banks and ATMs have seen a spike in criminal activity' and advises extra precautions 'especially at night.' WikiForTravel's Lagos guide describes the helper scam: 'Someone approaches you at an ATM cash machine to help you avoid local bank fees, but their true intention is to scan your debit or credit card with a card skimmer and watch you enter your pin number.' Daily Post Nigeria reported in February 2026 on 'rising phone thefts and scams' around the Ikeja Computer Village area, noting that criminals increasingly target people near ATMs and banks. The pattern is consistent: ATMs in isolated locations or outside convenience stores are the most dangerous, while ATMs inside bank branches during business hours are significantly safer.

Your hotel offers to exchange your dollars at a rate that seems low, and a street money changer outside — known locally as an 'Aboki' dealer — offers 20% more. You hand over $200 and the dealer counts out a fat stack of naira at impressive speed. Back in your hotel, you recount and discover the stack is short by 30% — bills were folded and palmed during the rapid counting. Worse, several of the higher-denomination notes feel different and may be counterfeit. The black market (parallel market) currency exchange is a massive part of Nigeria's financial ecosystem, with dedicated websites like NgnRates.com, BlackMarketNG.com, and AbokiFX.com tracking daily rates. TripAdvisor's Nigeria forum in a thread titled 'Money situation for tourists in Lagos' discusses the challenges of exchanging money safely. Romano Law published an analysis of the informal USD/Naira exchange market, noting significant legal risks for participants. The most common scam techniques include rapid counting with bills folded to appear thicker, using counterfeit high-denomination notes mixed with genuine ones, and the classic shortchange where the dealer counts correctly in front of you then quickly palms bills before handing the stack over. The safest approach for tourists is to use ATMs at major banks (Access Bank, GTBank, Zenith Bank) for naira withdrawal, exchange small amounts at your hotel for immediate needs, and avoid street exchangers entirely. Nigeria's currency volatility means rates change daily, so check current rates online before any exchange.

You visit Computer Village in Ikeja looking for a good deal on a new phone. A street vendor approaches with exactly the model you want at 60% of the retail price. He shows you the phone, lets you turn it on, and everything looks legitimate. You pay cash. Back at your hotel, you open the sealed box to find a plastic phone case stuffed with white bar soap — the vendor swapped the box during the transaction. Your phone was the display model; the sealed box was always a prop. TechNext24 published an investigation titled 'Computer Village: 3 Common Scams to Watch Out For in Lagos' documenting the bait-and-switch technique. Premium Times identified four specific scam types at the market, including product substitution and counterfeit phones. A viral video covered by Legit.ng showed a young man who was scammed at Computer Village, holding up the worthless items he received instead of the electronics he paid for. Daily Post Nigeria reported in February 2026 on 'rising phone thefts and scams at Ikeja Computer Village,' noting that 'newly purchased phones disappear within minutes, sometimes without any physical struggle.' The common thread: street vendors with no fixed address are responsible for virtually all fraud, while established shops with storefronts are generally trustworthy. The rule, as stated by market-savvy Nigerians: 'The only way to not be scammed in Computer Village is to walk into a proper shop and buy what you want.' Never buy from walking vendors or from people who approach you on the street.

You're walking back to your hotel on Victoria Island when two men in what appear to be police uniforms stop you. They claim to be conducting a security check and ask to see your passport and phone. One officer takes your passport while the other scrolls through your phone. They 'find an issue' — perhaps your visa doesn't look right, or they claim your phone contains illegal content. They offer to resolve it for 50,000 naira on the spot. If you refuse, they threaten to take you to the station where it will cost much more. Sahara Reporters documented how Nigerian police officers were caught on camera demanding money from a Dutch female tourist cycling through Nigeria, resulting in the dismissal of officers Jimoh Lukman and Kareem Fatai. Facebook users in Lagos circulated a viral warning about 'a fake police officer operating around Lagos Island' who demands money from passersby. Punch Nigeria reported on the arrest of a fake officer named Joseph Unosolease who was arraigned for 'impersonation, extortion, and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.' The problem includes both real police officers engaging in extortion and civilians impersonating officers. Vanguard News reported that fake government officials 'arrest people, take victims to hideouts, and negotiate fines ranging from N5,000 to N15,000.' Real Nigerian police officers should have verifiable identification, and legitimate security checks happen at official checkpoints, not on random streets. If stopped by anyone claiming authority, demand to see official ID, note their name and badge number, and insist on going to an official police station rather than resolving anything on the street.