“Our users should not to give out their personal information such as bank details and should only provide information that is relevant to the transaction,” Ndiangú’i cautioned/CFM
The online company has asked its users to be aware of fraudsters who are posting genuine items, but later produce faulty ones or rip-off interested buyers.
OLX Country Manager Peter Ndiangú’i however says that all advertisements posted on the site are intensely verified by an internal audit team before being posted online.
“Our internal team has already managed to capture some fake advertisements during the verification process and this adverts have not been posted,” he said.
The OLX platform views such incidents in serious light and will continue to take the necessary actions, with the help of the police, against individuals who intend to abuse the trust of OLX users.
“Our users should not to give out their personal information such as bank details and should only provide information that is relevant to the transaction,” Ndiangú’i cautioned.
He said that if users encounter someone who is requesting their financial information, they should cancel the transaction immediately.
“We would like to also discourage buyers to carry large amounts of money when going to meet the seller. Mobile money is a safer option,” Ndiangúi advised.
He warned that meeting a seller or a buyer in an isolated place is not a good idea and recommended meetings to be held in a public place like a shopping mall or a coffee shop and preferably seek the company of a third party as opposed to making the transaction alone.
“Buyers are encouraged to check the size or the quality of their purchases before making the payment,” he said.
He said that it is important to view the product and to authenticate it before handing the cash.
“If they’re not totally comfortable with the item, OLX Kenya advises them not to purchase it,” he said.
In case of a fraud, users are urged to contact OLX by clicking on the “Contact OLX” link at the bottom of the OLX home page.