21/04/2026
šØ HOW WE ALMOST GAVE OUT FREE FOOD TO A SCAMMER
Hey Doves,
Let me tell you something that happened to us last yearā¦ and trust me, this one taught me a serious lesson as a food business owner.
So, someone called the food hub requesting for packs of soup, yam and pepper soup. It sounded like a really good order the kind that makes you excited because, bulk order don land. Without wasting time, we swung into action immediately.
My kitchen assistant handled the market runs, we bought everything we needed, and cooking started almost immediately. Because the delivery location was quite far somewhere at the outskirts of Port Harcourt I had already arranged for a delivery driver to take the food once it was ready.
Everything was going smoothly. Then he said he had made a transferā¦ and shortly after, he sent a receipt as proof.
Naturally, I expected an alert. But time passedā¦ nothing.
I checked again. Still nothing.
Because of the amount involved, I even went as far as calling the bank to confirm if there was any pending transaction. The response? No payment had been made into the account.
At that point, I could have ignored it and just sent the food, hoping the money would reflect later. But something didnāt sit right with me. So instead of rushing, I decided to wait and look closely.
I then asked my assistant, who uses the same bank as the customer claimed to use, to show me a real transfer receipt. I needed to compare.
That was when everything became clear.
The receipt he sent was edited. The font didnāt match, the sizing was off, and the arrangement wasnāt consistent with an original bank receipt. It was obviousā¦ but only because I took time to check.
Not long after, he called again asking when the food would be delivered. That was when I knew for sure. I called him out immediately and just like that, he hung up and never reached out again.
If I had rushed that order, we would have sent out food worth a lot of money for absolutely nothing.
This is your reminder as a business owner:
Not every receipt is proof of payment. Not every urgent customer is genuine. Always confirm your money before sending out your goods.
