Losing funds to a fraudulent supplier or partner in Nigeria can disrupt your entire supply chain. While recovery is never guaranteed, there are structured steps businesses can take to improve their chances of getting money back and preventing future losses.

Why businesses need a strategy to recover money from scammer in Nigeria

Nigeria is a key sourcing and distribution hub for FMCG, commodities and manufactured goods, but it also features in global reports on online scams, business email compromise (BEC) and payment fraud.

For importers, wholesalers and logistics-driven businesses, the risk usually appears in a few ways:

• Fake suppliers requesting upfront payment for goods that never ship

• Compromised email accounts changing bank details on invoices (BEC)

• False freight, customs or “urgent clearance” charges

• Impersonation of genuine Nigerian companies using cloned websites and documents

Because funds often move quickly through multiple accounts, time is critical. Acting within hours or days gives banks and law enforcement a better chance to trace or freeze funds.

First response: immediate steps to recover money from scammer in Nigeria

When you realise a payment is fraudulent, treat it as a live financial incident, not just a dispute.

1. Contact your bank instantly
Ask your bank’s fraud team to:

• Attempt a recall or reversal of the transfer

• Raise an urgent fraud alert with the receiving Nigerian bank

• Flag related beneficiary accounts and any linked transactions

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued increasingly strict rules requiring banks and payment providers to investigate and reimburse certain fraud cases within defined timelines after a formal complaint. While these frameworks are aimed at domestic customers, early notification improves cooperation between banks.

2. Secure your internal systems

If the scam involved email or invoice changes, treat it as a cyber breach:

• Reset passwords and enable multi-factor authentication on email and banking platforms

• Review who approved the payment and how bank details were verified

• Preserve logs, emails and documents as evidence

Many business email compromise cases linked to Nigeria arise because company email is compromised and payment details are quietly altered.

3. Document everything

Create a concise incident file containing:

• Payment details (SWIFT/transfer references, bank statements, invoices)

• Copies of emails, chats and contracts

• Company registration documents for the supposed supplier

• Timeline of events and the moment you noticed the fraud

This is what banks, investigators and any Nigerian authorities will rely on.

Using Nigerian authorities and regulators in scam recovery

To seriously pursue recovery, especially for larger sums, you’ll often need to involve Nigerian authorities.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
The EFCC is Nigeria’s primary agency for economic and financial crimes, including fraud and cyber-enabled scams.

For substantial business losses or complex schemes:

• Submit a formal petition, clearly stating the facts and attaching evidence

• Provide full details of accounts, amounts, dates and any known identities

• Follow up via the contact channels and offices listed on the official EFCC website

Corporate entities based outside Nigeria can also petition the EFCC where there is evidence of economic crime affecting them.

Nigerian Police Force – cybercrime units
The Nigerian Police has dedicated units for cybercrime and financial fraud, including online reporting portals. They can open a case, liaise with local banks and, in some situations, obtain court orders to freeze accounts linked to the scam.

Legal counsel and specialist investigators
For high-value trade or wholesale transactions, consider working with:

• Nigerian legal counsel experienced in commercial fraud and asset tracing

• Private investigators or forensic accountants familiar with BEC and supplier fraud linked to Nigeria

They can help you assess whether court action, injunctions or negotiated settlements are realistic, and how to position your case with regulators.

Preventing future loss: risk controls for trading with Nigeria

While you may or may not recover money from a scammer in Nigeria, you can significantly reduce the chance of repeat incidents.

Practical controls for importers, exporters and distributors include:

• Supplier verification: Confirm a supplier’s registered company details, tax ID, physical address and trading history using independent sources, not just documents they provide.

• Bank account validation: Call a verified company phone number to confirm bank details whenever they change. Avoid approving changes solely via email.

• Segregation of duties: Separate the roles of order placement, vendor onboarding and payment approval.

• Use of secure payment structures: For new or higher-risk suppliers, use letters of credit, escrow services or partial payments tied to documented milestones instead of 100% pre-payment.

• Cybersecurity hygiene: Enforce strong passwords, 2FA and regular phishing training for finance and procurement teams.

These measures won’t eliminate risk, but they make your company a far harder target and create a stronger position if recovery efforts are needed.

How Wigmore Trading helps reduce scam and recovery risk

Wigmore Trading operates across African markets, including Nigeria, supporting clients with sourcing, wholesale distribution and logistics. That visibility on the ground and in supply chains can help reduce the likelihood that you ever need to recover money from a scammer in Nigeria.

In practice, Wigmore Trading can:

• Pre-screen suppliers and manufacturers in Nigeria before you commit to contracts or significant deposits

• Validate product availability and export capability, helping distinguish real businesses from shell entities

• Coordinate secure logistics, so you are paying against verifiable movement of goods, not promises

• Support compliance and documentation, ensuring invoices, packing lists and customs paperwork line up and reducing openings for fraud

• Share market insight on typical scam patterns affecting FMCG, bulk commodities and cross-border trade, so your team can spot red flags early

By using a trusted partner that already trades in Nigeria, your business reduces exposure to unknown counterparties and gains a practical layer of due diligence around each transaction.

Conclusion:

Recovering money from a scammer in Nigeria is challenging and outcomes are never guaranteed, especially if funds have already been withdrawn or moved across multiple accounts. However, acting fast with your bank, escalating to Nigerian authorities where appropriate, and engaging expert support can give you the best chance of success.

In the longer term, building strong verification processes, secure payment structures and working with experienced partners like Wigmore Trading is the most reliable way to protect your trade flows into and out of Nigeria.

Contact Wigmore Trading today to streamline your sourcing and reduce fraud risk in your African supply chain.