Ask any Nigerian business owner if they know someone who paid for a website and never got it, and most will say yes. Web design scams are common enough that "web designer" and "scam" get mentioned in the same breath more often than they should. Here's exactly what to check before you hand over a single naira.
1. They ask for full payment upfront
A legitimate developer asks for a deposit — commonly 50% — with the balance due when the site is ready or delivered. Someone asking for 100% before any work starts has no incentive left to actually finish the job. This is the single biggest red flag, and it's worth walking away over on its own.
2. No preview link before you pay the balance
You should always see your actual website — live, clickable, on your phone — before you pay the remaining balance. If someone insists you pay everything first and "then" you'll see it, that's backwards. A real preview link costs the developer nothing to share and protects you completely.
3. No verifiable past work
Ask for links to real, live websites they've built — not just screenshots, which can be faked or borrowed from someone else's portfolio. A genuine developer can send you two or three working links in seconds, because those sites actually exist online right now.
4. Prices that seem too good to be true
A multi-page custom website for ₦10,000 should make you cautious, not excited. It usually means one of three things: the site will be extremely basic, corners will be cut somewhere you won't notice until later, or the person has no intention of delivering at all. Compare quotes, but be suspicious of the outlier that's dramatically cheaper than everyone else.
5. Pressure to decide immediately
"This price is only valid today" is a classic pressure tactic used to stop you from thinking it through, comparing options, or asking a friend for a second opinion. A real business relationship — especially one that might last years through hosting renewals and future updates — should never require a same-day decision.
What a trustworthy developer actually does
Takes a reasonable deposit, gives you a preview link before the balance is due, shows you real examples of past work, gives you a price that's competitive but not suspiciously cheap, and lets you take the time you need to decide. None of that is a high bar to clear — which is exactly why it's worth checking for before you pay anyone anything.
If a "web designer" you're talking to fails more than one of these checks, that's your answer. Trust the pattern, not the promises.