A slick video shows drone footage of a half-cleared plot, a smiling "CEO" and a caption: "Own land in a fast-growing area for ₦150,000 down. Land doubles in 12 months." The comments are full of "Interested, DM." If you've scrolled Instagram, TikTok or Facebook in Nigeria, you've seen this offer. Some of these sellers are genuine. Some are collecting deposits for land they don't own, or running a scheme that pays early buyers with money from later ones.
This guide is about the investment angle: fractional plots, "buy now, develop later" estates, rent-to-own and "we'll resell for you" offers. If you're buying a single plot to build on, read our post on land fraud and the documents to verify alongside this one.
What courts are reporting about property fraud
Property fraud is not a rumour. The Trumpet Newspaper reported that a Lagos court jailed a couple for 14 years each over a ₦67.6m estate fraud, and PM News reported that the couple were ordered to repay over ₦67m. Premium Times separately reported that a jailed couple received a fresh 10-year sentence for property fraud. Those headlines are all we know about those cases, so we won't guess at how the schemes worked.
The useful lesson is simpler. Convictions come after victims have already lost money, often years later. Recovering funds is slow even when a court orders repayment. Your best protection is checking before you pay.
How these offers are usually built
Most social media property pitches fall into a few shapes. Knowing the shape helps you ask the right question.
- Off-plan estate sales: you pay in instalments for a plot or house that doesn't exist yet. The risk is that the land isn't owned, is under dispute, or the money is spent elsewhere.
- Fractional or "share" ownership: you buy a slice of a property and are promised rent or resale profit. This behaves like an investment product, not a land purchase.
- Guaranteed resale: "Buy now, we'll sell at a profit in 12 months." Nobody can guarantee a property price.
- Referral-heavy schemes: you earn commission for bringing friends. If payouts depend on new buyers, it's a Ponzi pattern in estate clothing.
- Rent or deposit scams: a "available now" flat with photos copied from elsewhere, and an urgent request for an inspection or agreement fee.
Red flags you can spot before any call
- Guaranteed returns. "Doubles in a year" or "100% buy-back" is a promise nobody honest can make. Our Ponzi red flags post shows how to test such claims.
- Pressure. "Promo ends tonight," "only 3 plots left." Real land does not vanish in a day.
- Payment to a personal account. Money should go to a registered company account with the same name as on the contract.
- No physical office or an office you can't visit. A page with only a phone number is not a company.
- Vague documents. They say "title is in process" or "we'll give you papers after full payment."
- Site visits that are staged. You're taken to a plot by the sales rep only, on a day they choose, and told not to talk to neighbours.
- Celebrity or influencer endorsement as proof. A paid post is not due diligence.
The verification routine, step by step
1. Identify who you're dealing with
Ask for the company's full registered name and RC number, then search it on the Corporation Affairs Commission public search. Check the directors, registered address and date of registration. A company registered last month claiming "20 years of experience" is telling you something. Note that a registered business name or company only proves it exists, not that it's honest.
2. Ask who owns the land
Ask for the document showing the seller's title: a Certificate of Occupancy, a registered deed, or a clear chain from the original owner. Then have your own lawyer do a search at the relevant state land registry. In Lagos, that means the Lagos State land registry; other states have their own offices. Don't use a lawyer recommended by the seller.
3. Check the survey and any government claim
Ask for the survey plan and have an independent surveyor confirm the plot's coordinates and whether it falls inside government acquisition or a right-of-way. Estates sold on land that the state has already acquired are a classic trap.
4. Visit the site yourself, unannounced if possible
Talk to people living or farming nearby. Ask who they believe owns the land and whether anyone else has been selling it. Take photos with location turned on.
5. Read the contract before you pay
Look for the plot size, plot number, total price, instalment schedule, date of delivery, what happens if the company fails to deliver, and refund terms. If any of those are missing, don't sign. Ask for the deed of assignment timeline in writing.
6. Treat "investment" offers separately
If you are not receiving land but a share of profit or rent, you are buying an investment product. Ask whether the offer is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and confirm on the SEC Nigeria website or by contacting them directly. If the seller can't answer clearly, stop.
7. Pay safely and keep records
Pay only into the company account named in the contract, by bank transfer so you have a trail. Never pay cash to an agent. Get a receipt signed by the company and keep every chat, voice note and advert screenshot.
A worked example (hypothetical)
Say Ada, a nurse in Abuja, sees an advert for plots at ₦3,500,000 each, payable over 12 months with ₦500,000 down. The seller promises a "guaranteed 40% appreciation" and a free C of O.
She runs the checks. The CAC search shows the company was registered seven months ago. The seller can't provide a title document, only an "allocation letter" from a "family head." Her lawyer's registry search finds nothing in the seller's name, and a neighbour at the site says another family also claims the land.
If she'd paid the ₦500,000 deposit and four instalments of ₦250,000, she'd have lost ₦1.5m for a plot with disputed ownership. The checks cost her a lawyer's fee and a surveyor's fee, a small part of that. These figures are made up to show the logic; actual fees vary by city and professional.
Common mistakes
- Trusting the number of buyers. A crowded WhatsApp group proves marketing, not ownership. Our post on investment groups explains how fake social proof is created.
- Paying a "reservation fee" to hold a plot before any documents are shown.
- Sending a relative to inspect and accepting their word without a search.
- Ignoring the diaspora gap. If you're abroad, you need a lawyer and surveyor on the ground. Our guide on vetting a deal from abroad covers this.
- Chasing early payouts. Small early returns are a common way to get you to invest more.
If you've already paid
- Stop all further payments, even if told that you'll lose what you've paid.
- Save evidence: receipts, contracts, adverts, chats, account details.
- Write to the company formally and request a refund by a set date.
- Report to the police and to the EFCC, and consider the relevant state authority and the SEC if it was sold as an investment. See our post on fake officers too, because victims are often contacted by people claiming they can recover money for a fee.
- Speak to a lawyer about civil recovery. Be careful: anyone who asks for an upfront "release fee" is likely a second scammer.
How the advice differs by country
The checks above are written for Nigeria. In Ghana, land records and titles go through different institutions, and you should search through the Lands Commission with a local lawyer. In Kenya, a land search is done through the lands registry process. In South Africa, deeds are registered through the deeds office and transactions usually involve a conveyancing attorney. The principle is the same everywhere: independent verification of ownership by someone you chose.
Frequently asked questions
Is every social media estate seller a scammer?
No. Many genuine developers advertise online. What matters is whether they pass the checks: registered company, verifiable title, written contract and payment to the company account.
Is a "C of O" enough proof?
Not on its own. Documents can be forged or the land can be subject to disputes. Verify at the registry rather than relying on a photocopy.
Can I trust an agent who shows me a nice site?
A site visit shows the land exists, not that the seller owns it. Ownership comes from the records.
Should I pay in instalments to reduce risk?
Instalments limit what you lose only if you verify first and stop at the first sign of trouble. Paying small amounts into an unverified deal still puts money at risk.
Your next step: take any offer you're considering now and write down three things: the company's RC number, the name on the title, and the account you're asked to pay into. If you can't fill all three from independent sources, don't pay yet.
This article is for general information only and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Prices, rates and rules change quickly, so check current details before making money decisions.