Is This Developer a Scam or Legit? How to Check Before You Pay

Your cousin sends you an Instagram link. Stunning aerial photos of a new estate-manicured gardens, modern architecture, smiling families walking tree-lined streets. The captions promise "investment-grade returns," "guaranteed appreciation," "construction underway." The developer has 50,000 followers. They're verified. They're professional. They're launching a presale. Prices are "rising next week." You should "secure your plot now."

Your cousin made an investment. You're thinking about it.

Then, nine months later, nobody has broken ground. The Instagram goes quiet. Your cousin can't reach the sales office. The phone number they called is disconnected. The developer's website is down. And the ₦10 million you both sent-gone.

This isn't hypothetical. This happens constantly in Nigeria's real estate market, and it's happening more often to diaspora investors than anyone else.

The Problem: Instagram Developers and Disappearing Acts

Five years ago, real estate fraud looked different. A local agent would show you land, you'd pay cash, and they'd disappear. Now, fraud is more sophisticated. Developers have professional websites, Instagram accounts with thousands of followers, testimonials from "happy customers," and a carefully constructed brand. They target diaspora Nigerians specifically because they know foreigners can't verify claims in real time. They're selling dreams, not properties.

The PWAN estate saga in Lagos is the clearest example. Promises of luxury estates in prime locations, professional marketing materials, flexible payment plans-and then months of delays, unfinished projects, developers changing hands, and buyers fighting for refunds. Not all of it was outright fraud. Some was incompetence. But either way, money was lost.

More recently, several developers in Ibeju-Lekki collected deposits from hundreds of diaspora buyers for estates that were supposed to launch in 2023. As of now, some of those estates have barely started construction. Buyers have been ignored. Some developers have simply changed their names and rebranded with a different company. Same people, same strategy, new Instagram handle.

The common thread: no accountability. No way for a buyer to independently verify whether the developer had a track record. No evidence. Just marketing.

The Checklist: How to Actually Verify a Developer

Before you send any money, run through this checklist. Don't skip steps. Don't let a sales agent convince you it's "unnecessary."

1. CAC Registration

Every legitimate real estate company must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. You can check this yourself on the CAC website (cac.gov.ng). Verify:

- The company name is correctly registered

- The directors' names match what the developer claims

- The company is active and in good standing

- The registration number is real

A forged CAC number is common. Scammers will give you a registration number that looks real but doesn't exist. Verify it directly on CAC.

2. RERA Status

If the developer is operating in Lagos, they should be registered with RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority). Check the RERA database. Is the company listed? Is their registration current? Do they have any complaints or disciplinary actions filed against them?

If they're operating in other states, check with the equivalent regulatory body in that state. Some states don't have these bodies yet, which makes verification harder-but that's also a risk factor.

3. Past Projects Delivered

This is critical: ask the developer to list all projects they've completed in the last 5-10 years. Not projects "under construction." Completed projects. Projects with C of Os issued. Projects with actual residents.

Then verify these projects independently. Visit them if possible. Talk to residents. Ask if they got their C of Os on time. Ask if there were delays. Ask about the developer's communication during the construction phase.

A developer with zero completed projects, no matter how professional their Instagram looks, is a risk. You're betting on their first attempt.

4. Land Title Verification

Can the developer produce a valid C of O for the land they're developing? Not a sketch. Not a promise. An actual C of O, verified through the Land Registry. If they can't, don't proceed.

5. Independent Site Inspection

Visit the property. See the land with your own eyes-or have a trusted person in Nigeria visit and send you photos and a video walkthrough. Ask:

- Is the land accessible by road?

- Is it actually surrounded by the amenities the developer claims (schools, hospitals, shopping)?

- Is there active construction? If not, where are the construction plans and timeline?

- What does the neighborhood actually look like?

Marketing photos show one angle. Ground reality is different.

How Bektu Fits Into Your Verification

BektuIs a developer verification platform. It doesn't sell properties. It doesn't take your money. What it does is show you a developer's delivery history-past projects they've completed, the timelines, evidence of project completion, and connections to other verified developers or partners.

Think of it as a background check. You can see:

- Which projects the developer has actually delivered

- How long construction took (versus their promises)

- Whether those projects have valid C of Os

- The developer's track record with buyers

It's the difference between a developer telling you "we have a great reputation" and you actually seeing evidence of completed work.

A developer who won't engage with verification platforms is already showing you something. Why hide your track record if it's solid?

The Red Flags You Can't Ignore

-Pressure to pay quickly."Prices are rising in three days." "We're holding your allocation for 48 hours." Real estate doesn't move that fast. The urgency is artificial.

-No clear timeline.They promise the world but can't tell you when construction starts, when it finishes, or when you'll get a C of O.

-Testimonials from people you can't verify.Real reviews are checkable. Fake ones are vague.

-Avoiding direct questions.Ask about their past projects, and they deflect. Ask about the land title, and they say "our lawyers handle that." Ask when you'll get the C of O, and they say "on completion of construction"-with no definition of what "completion" means.

-No physical office.They operate entirely through WhatsApp and Instagram. Red flag.

-Focusing on returns instead of actual property.If they're selling you a "5-year investment return" instead of a real property with real amenities, they're not selling real estate. They're running a scheme.

Trust, But Verify

A cousin's testimonial is nice. Instagram followers are meaningless. Professional marketing is table stakes now. What matters is evidence: completed projects, registered titles, regulatory compliance, and a track record you can independently verify.

If a developer is legitimate, they'll welcome your skepticism. They'll provide documents. They'll connect you with past buyers. They'll show you their projects. They'll use platforms likeBektuTo prove their credibility.

If they resist, you have your answer.