The fear of being “burned” by shady agents or unreliable relatives is a primary barrier for the diaspora, but avoiding scams in the Lagos market is possible through strict adherence to transparency and legal-backed processes. To insulate yourself from fraud, you must stop relying on informal arrangements and instead demand regular, time-stamped photo and video updates of any property or project you are interested in. It is critical to employ a “Project Guardian” or a trusted eyes-and-ears partner who can conduct independent property valuations and due diligence reports to assess environmental and security risks that a seller might hide.