Avoiding Property Scams in Nigeria During the Festive Rush
December 16, 2025
The festive season in Nigeria has a way of lowering people’s guard. Bonuses are paid, families gather, and many Nigerians decide it is finally time to buy land or invest in property before the year ends. Unfortunately, this period also marks the peak season for property scams. Over the years, I have noticed a clear pattern: the closer we get to Christmas and New Year, the more desperate sellers appear, the more “urgent offers” flood social media, and the higher the number of buyers who end the year with regret instead of real assets.
Scammers understand emotion and timing better than most people realise. Knowing how they operate is the first step to protecting yourself.
Why the Festive Season Is High-Risk
Festive periods create urgency. Buyers feel pressure to “use the money well” before it disappears into lifestyle spending. Sellers exploit this by creating artificial deadlines, claiming prices will rise in January or that multiple buyers are waiting. I once worked with a client who was offered a “Christmas-only land deal” in Lagos at a price far below market value. By the time he paused to verify the documents, the so-called seller had vanished, phone switched off, and office address traced to an empty building.
Scams thrive where speed replaces verification. The festive rush encourages quick decisions, and quick decisions are exactly what fraudulent actors depend on.
Common Property Scam Patterns to Watch
One of the most common scams involves multiple sales of the same land. Unscrupulous sellers collect payments from several buyers, especially in areas where land ownership is communal or poorly documented. Another frequent tactic is forged titles. Fake C of O documents, manipulated survey plans, and “processing approvals” are presented confidently to buyers who lack the experience to verify them.
There is also the agent impersonation scam, where fraudsters pose as representatives of known developers or real estate firms. They copy logos, reuse old photos, and create convincing WhatsApp broadcasts. During one festive season transaction I reviewed, the buyer assumed he was dealing with a legitimate firm because the branding looked familiar. Only a direct verification with the actual company revealed the truth.
Any deal that discourages independent verification is a warning sign, no matter how polished it appears.
How Smart Buyers Protect Themselves
The safest buyers slow down when everyone else is rushing. Verification should never be postponed because of a festive deadline. Title searches at the land registry, confirmation of survey authenticity, and physical inspection of the land are non-negotiable steps. If a seller resists these processes, that resistance itself is information.
Working with established professionals also reduces risk significantly. At Pryme Point Real Estate, festive transactions are handled with the same discipline as any other time of year: verified titles, transparent documentation, and clear timelines. This structure removes emotion from the process and replaces it with facts. Real property will still be available in January; fake property will not.
Another key protection is alignment of names and records. The seller’s name must match the name on the title or deed, and any deviation must be legally explained before payment. Many festive scams succeed simply because buyers assume discrepancies can be “sorted later.”
Emotional Discipline Is Your Strongest Defence
Property scams are rarely sophisticated; they are persuasive. They rely on excitement, fear of missing out, and social pressure. I have seen buyers ignore obvious red flags because they were emotionally invested in the idea of ending the year as property owners. Unfortunately, land does not reward emotion, it rewards patience.
The smartest investors treat festive season opportunities the same way they treat any serious investment. They ask uncomfortable questions, insist on proof, and walk away when answers are unclear. Ironically, these are the buyers who often secure the best genuine deals because they are trusted by credible sellers.
Ending the Year With Confidence, Not Regret
Buying property during the festive season is not wrong. What is dangerous is buying blindly. Nigeria’s real estate market offers real opportunities, but only to those who respect process and understand risk. Scammers disappear after the holidays; genuine assets remain.
As the year closes, remember this simple rule: urgency is never more important than verification. If a deal cannot survive proper checks, it does not deserve your money. Ending the year without regret is far better than entering the new one fighting to recover lost funds.