Two Jiji Sellers, One Address: Phone Checks Before You Pay

Short answer: Two sellers with different names who give the same shop address is worth a closer look, but it is not proof of anything on its own. It can be one person running several accounts, a made-up address, or a real phone mall where many stalls share one building. Before you pay, meet in a real shop in daylight, test the phone, check the IMEI against the box, check the seller on TrustCheck, and never send a deposit by MoMo before you have seen the phone.

What two Ghanaian buyers noticed

A buyer on r/ghana asked about phone listings on Jiji (the r/ghana thread). They had messaged two sellers who used different names, and both gave the same shop location. They wanted to know if it was a scam.

A second discussion on r/TechGhana (the TechGhana thread) raised a different worry. A buyer was concerned that sealed iPhones are sometimes opened and sealed again before they are sold as new. Both threads come from one simple fear: you cannot tell much from a listing alone.

What the same-address pattern can mean

• One person running several accounts. A single seller can open more than one profile and use different names. The address and the phone stay the same.
• A fake or borrowed address. Some sellers give a place they have never worked, or a location that does not exist on a map, to look more trustworthy.
• A genuine shared market. Many phone traders work in the same mall or building, each with their own stall and number. Two stalls in one building can give the same address, and that is normal.

The address alone cannot tell you which one you are dealing with. Checking the seller in person is how you find out.

Signs that deserve a second look

• Both sellers want payment before you meet or see the phone.
• The price is far below other listings for the same model.
• The wording, photos or payment instructions look copied from one seller to the other.
• They cannot name the shop floor or stall number, or they change the location when you ask.
• They refuse a visit, a video call or a test in person.

How to check a seller before you pay

1. Meet in a real shop in daylight. Take someone with you if you can. Ask for the stall number and check the shop name on the sign.
2. Test the phone yourself. Check the screen, both cameras, speakers, microphone, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, charging port and battery. Ask to see it switched on and set up.
3. Check the IMEI. Dial #06# on the phone and compare the IMEI with the number on the box. On an iPhone you can also find it under Settings, General, About. If the numbers do not match, walk away.
4. Check the Apple serial. For an iPhone, use the serial number on Apple's own coverage page at checkcoverage.apple.com to see the warranty and model details. Compare these with what the seller told you.
5. Check the seller on TrustCheck. Search the seller's number or handle at /check and look for reports from other people and official warnings. If nothing shows, that does not clear the seller. It only means nobody has reported them yet.

Sealed does not always mean new

A sealed box is not a guarantee. Look closely at the seal and the packaging. Check for tears, glue marks, wrinkled plastic, stickers that sit crooked, or a box that looks re-taped. Ask to open it in front of you. Then check that the IMEI on the phone matches the box and the serial on the back or in Settings. Check the battery health and whether any account you did not expect is already signed in. If something does not add up, do not buy it, however good the deal sounds.

Never pay a deposit by MoMo before you see the phone

A deposit sent before you have seen the phone is the easiest way to lose money. Sellers may say the deposit will hold the phone for you. Do not send it. Pay only after the checks pass and you hold the phone in your hand. Never share your MoMo PIN or OTP code with anyone, including someone who says they are from the seller's side.

If you were cheated

• Report the listing and the seller on Jiji using its report option.
• Report the seller's number on TrustCheck at /check/report. Only people in Ghana can report a number, and a person checks every report before it is published.
• Call your MoMo provider or bank straight away, and keep every message, receipt and screenshot.
• Report it to the Ghana Police Cybercrime Unit. For help with money lost, you can also contact the Cyber Security Authority on 292.

How TrustCheck helps

Use /check to look up a seller's number or handle before you pay. If you have a MoMo message to check, paste it at /check/message. To see whether a phone price is too good to trust, compare it at Price Check. If you are signed in and want a closer look at one number, you can ask the TrustCheck team to investigate it by hand.