How to Report a Suspicious Listing on Flatmates

Rental fraud is unfortunately common in Nigerian cities. On Flatmates Nigeria, our moderation team reviews all listings, but knowing the warning signs helps you stay safe. Be cautious of any listing that:

• Has a price significantly below market rate for the area - a self-contain in Lekki for ₦150,000 per year is a red flag
• Contains only a few low-quality or clearly stock photos
• Has a host with no profile photo, no reviews, and an account created very recently
• Asks you to communicate or pay outside the Flatmates platform (WhatsApp only, no in-app messages)
• Requires you to pay a 'reservation fee' or 'application fee' before viewing the property
• Claims the host is abroad and will post keys to you

Reporting a listing takes less than a minute. On the listing page, scroll to the bottom and tap 'Report this listing'. Select the reason that best describes the issue:

• Suspected scam or fraud
• Photos do not match the property
• Incorrect location or address
• Offensive or discriminatory content
• Duplicate listing
• Other

Add any additional details in the text box - the more context you provide, the faster our team can investigate. Reports are anonymous; the host will not know you reported them.

Our trust and safety team reviews every report within 24 hours. If the listing is found to violate our policies, it is taken down immediately and the host's account is flagged. Repeat offenders are permanently banned.

You will receive an email update once your report has been reviewed. If the listing turns out to be legitimate, it will remain live - but your report helps us monitor it more closely.

If you have already sent money to a fraudulent host outside the Flatmates platform, act quickly. Contact your bank immediately to initiate a transaction dispute - Nigerian banks (GTBank, Access, Zenith, UBA, First Bank) all have fraud hotlines available 24/7.

File a report with the Nigerian Police Force's Cybercrime Unit (or EFCC for large amounts). Also contact Flatmates support with the host's profile link, the account details used, and any chat or call records you have. While we cannot recover money paid outside our platform, we will assist with your report and ban the account.

This is why all payments must go through Flatmates Nigeria - our escrow system means you can recover funds if something goes wrong before or during your stay.