Buying Phones and Gadgets from Instagram and TikTok Vendors in Ghana: How to Check Before You Pay

Short answer: before paying an Instagram or TikTok phone or gadget vendor in Ghana, check how old the page is and how many times its name has changed, look for reviews outside its own page, confirm a physical shop you can visit, and pay only on delivery after you have tested the device. Prices far below shops, "deposit to hold it" and MoMo names that do not match the business are the classic warning signs.

How gadget scams on Instagram and TikTok work

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has described the pattern for years: fake online shops promote goods at very low prices, ask for payment upfront into MoMo wallets in names unrelated to the shop, then block the buyer. In November 2025 the CSA said it had recorded 266 online shopping fraud cases with losses of over GH¢600,000 between January and October 2025.

With phones and gadgets the stories are usually:

• The never-delivered phone. A "UK used iPhone 15 Pro Max" at half the shop price. You pay, they send a fake waybill, then ask for "customs" or "delivery" fees, then disappear. In 2021, Ghana Police arrested a suspect who, police said, advertised iPhones on Instagram below market price and collected MoMo into a number registered in another person's name.
• The wrong device. A clone or older model arrives, often with a rider who wants payment before you open the box.
• The locked device. A real iPhone or Samsung that is still locked to someone's iCloud or Google account, often because it was stolen.
• Fake "pay on delivery". The vendor agrees to pay on delivery, then says you must first send a "commitment fee" or "rider fee".
• Copied pages. A scammer copies a real shop's photos, name and logo with a slightly different handle.

How to check a vendor's page

1. Look at the account history. On Instagram, open the profile, tap the three dots at the top right, then About this account. Instagram shows the date the account joined and how many times the username changed, and for some accounts the country it is based in. A gadget shop that "has been selling for five years" but joined last month, or has changed its name several times, is a red flag.
2. Check the handle carefully. Compare it with the real shop's handle letter by letter. Scammers add dots, underscores or "gh" to a known name.
3. Read the comments, not the follower count. Followers can be bought. Look for real customers with real accounts posting after delivery. Limited or switched-off comments on every post is a warning. See red flags for fake sellers on Instagram, TikTok and X.
4. Search outside the page. Search the business name, the handle and the phone number with words like "scam" or "review". Look the business up on TrustCheck's Instagram vendors page and business search.
5. Check the photos. Do the pictures show the same table, floor and lighting each time, or are they stock images and photos copied from other sellers? Ask for a video of the exact device showing today's date on a piece of paper.

Confirm there is a real shop

For phones and laptops, a physical shop is the best check. Ask for the address and visit, or ask a friend nearby to go. A real shop at a mall, at Circle or in Osu, with a name on the door, staff and receipts, is far less risky than "we deliver only". If a vendor refuses to give any address for a GH¢10,000 phone, do not buy.

Pay on delivery and inspect first

• Inspect before you pay. The CSA advises paying on delivery rather than in advance. Tell the vendor at the start that you will test the device before paying. A genuine seller is used to this.
• Meet somewhere safe and in daylight, ideally at their shop or a busy public place.
• Do not hand over money and then test. Test first. Do not let the device leave your hands after testing. Swapping a tested phone for another while "packaging it" is a known trick that Ghana Police described at Circle.
• Pay the business, not "my brother's" number. Check the name that appears when you enter the MoMo number. If it is unrelated to the business and they cannot explain it, stop.

Red flags specific to phones and gadgets

• Brand-new flagship phones well below the price at Telefonika, Franko Trading, Compu Ghana or other big shops.
• "UK used" or "US used" with no option to check the phone before payment.
• No IMEI or serial number shared, or a box with a different IMEI from the phone.
• "It has iCloud but we will remove it" or "Google lock bypass done".
• Only a photo of the box, never the switched-on phone.
• A deposit "to hold it" because "many people want it".
• "Customs", "waybill" or "clearing" fees after you have paid.
• Laptops with "16GB RAM, i7" in the advert but no video of the system settings screen.

What to check on the device itself

When the device is in your hands:

• iPhone: sign-out and erase in front of you, set it up with your own Apple Account, and check Parts and Service History and Battery Health. Our iPhone buying checklist covers every screen.
• Samsung and Android: model number, IMEI, Samsung Members tests, and removal of Google and Samsung accounts. See our Samsung buying guide.
• Any phone: dial *#06# and match the IMEI with the box and settings. See how to check an IMEI in Ghana.
• Laptops: real specs, battery report, Windows activation and company locks. See our used laptop checklist.

Ask for a written receipt with the business name, the device model and the IMEI or serial number. If the vendor offers a warranty, get it in writing.

What to do if you already paid

• Call your network straight away (MTN 100, or the Telecel or AT customer line) about the MoMo transaction and ask whether it can be held or reversed.
• Screenshot the vendor's profile, posts, chat, number and payment reference before they delete them.
• Report the account to Instagram or TikTok using the report option on the profile.
• Report to the Cyber Security Authority (call or text 292, WhatsApp 0501603111, or email report@csa.gov.gh) and to the police. See how to report a scam in Ghana.

For more on safe buying, read how to protect yourself when buying from Instagram sellers. Before you pay any vendor, check a number, handle or website on TrustCheck, and if a vendor cheated you, report it so the next buyer is warned.