A gadget vendor in Ikeja, Lagos has raised an alert following an incident involving an alleged fraudster who reportedly disappeared with an iPhone 13 Pro and ₦600,000 during a phone swap transaction.

The vendor shared details of the incident via a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), calling on the public to remain vigilant and report the suspect if spotted.

According to the vendor, the suspect visited his shop accompanied by a lady, claiming he wanted to help her swap an iPhone 13 Pro for an iPhone 14 Pro Max (eSIM unlocked). The agreement was that the suspect would pay the balance after verifying the devices.

However, after the file transfer between both phones was completed, the suspect requested to step out to a nearby bank to complete the transaction. Later, he opted to use a POS service instead.

The vendor explained that due to time constraints — as the eSIM vendor was nearing closing time — he couldn’t accompany the suspect or leave the lady behind. The suspect then offered to handle the cash withdrawal himself while the vendor remained to oversee the eSIM activation process.

Unfortunately, that was the last time the suspect was seen. He allegedly absconded with the lady’s iPhone 13 Pro and the sum of ₦600,000. The affected lady is now accusing the vendor of colluding with the suspect.

The vendor, however, denied any involvement and shared the story to alert others within the gadget sales and swap business to exercise caution during transactions, especially when handling device swaps that involve additional payments.

As of the time of this report, there has been no official statement from the police. The vendor is urging anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts to come forward.