The ₦2M vendor scam pattern nobody's talking about

It follows a pattern more often than people realize. A vendor undercuts every other quote by 20-30%. They ask for a bigger-than-usual deposit, often 60-70% upfront. Communication is warm and fast — until the deposit clears.

Then replies slow down. Excuses appear: a family emergency, a supplier issue, a double-booking they're "sorting out." By the time silence sets in, it's often two to three weeks before the event — too late to easily recover the money or find a full replacement.

The single most effective protection isn't avoiding cheap quotes — it's never paying a full deposit without a signed scope and a milestone structure. A vendor unwilling to accept staged payments tied to delivery is telling you something.

If you're mid-planning right now: any vendor asking for more than 50% upfront with no contract is worth pausing on, regardless of how good their portfolio looks.