Gift card trading scams are rampant in Nigeria, and they don't stay in one place. As users get more careful about obvious tricks like random WhatsApp DMs, scammers move to new channels such as fake apps, paid search ads, social media comments, bots, and even phone calls. Tbay keeps users safe by having one simple rule that applies to all of them: if it's not inside the official app, it's not us. Here's how that plays out across each channel.
Scammers copy Tbay's name and look across fake apps, search ads, social media comments, trading bots, and phone calls. None of these are real Tbay channels. The only place to trade, update your app, or get support is the official Tbay app itself.
Fake Apps and Installation Files
Some scammers send APK files or "new version" installers through private messages, claiming it's an app update. Installing these can hand over your login details the moment you open them.
Tbay does not send app files, APKs, or updates through private messages or third-party links. The only safe way to download or update the app is through the official Play Store or App Store listing. If a file arrives through a chat, don't install it.
Phishing Links and Fake Ads
This covers SMS links, fake search ads, and counterfeit websites built to look like Tbay. Clicking one of these and entering your account or card details can hand that information straight to a scammer.
Tbay will never ask you to click an external link or enter card or account details on a website outside the official app. If you see an ad or link promising a better deal, don't click it , go to the app directly instead.
Fake "High Rate" Search Ads
Some scammers go further and buy sponsored search ads, or build SEO-optimized fake websites, so they show up when someone searches for gift card trading or customer support. These pages often advertise unusually high exchange rates to pull people in.
Tbay's official trades and support only happen through the app and our primary website domain, https://tbay.store/ never through a third-party ad or a site you found by searching. Scammers build these fake sites specifically to collect your card details, so don't trust a "better rate" just because it showed up in search results.
Social Media Comments and DMs
On platforms like Facebook, X, TikTok, and Instagram, scammers post fake "customer service" replies in comment sections or send DMs offering to help, often leaving personal contact details to move the conversation elsewhere.
Tbay does not provide support or process trades through comments or DMs on any social media platform. If someone claims to be our agent in a comment section, ignore it. Support only happens through the official app.
Fake Trading Bots on Telegram and WhatsApp
Some scammers run bots on Telegram or WhatsApp that claim to automatically process gift card trades or offer "customer service." These are built to look automated and official, which makes them easy to trust by mistake.
Tbay does not operate any trading bot or customer service bot on Telegram, WhatsApp, or Signal. We only have one Telegram official channel https://t.me/Tbayplatform and you can also trade in our Telegram mini app https://t.me/TbayApp_bot. Any other bot offering to process your trade automatically is fake — block it and complete your trade inside the app instead.
Fake Calls and Text Messages
The newest version of this scam skips messaging apps entirely. Scammers can forge caller IDs and text sender names to make a call or SMS look like it's genuinely coming from Tbay.
Our calls and texts will never ask for your password, OTP, or card details over the phone, and we will never send a text with a login link. If you get a call or message like this, hang up and reach out through the app's in-app chat instead — don't call back the number or click anything in the text.
The One Rule That Covers All of It
Every tactic above looks different, but the test is always the same: is this happening inside the official Tbay app? If not, it doesn't matter how convincing the app, ad, comment, bot, or call looks, it isn't us.
FAQs
1. Does Tbay send app updates through links or files?
No. Updates only come through the official Play Store or App Store. Never install an app file sent through a private message.
2. Are high-rate ads on Google or search engines legitimate?
No. Tbay does not run third-party ads offering special rates. These are often phishing sites built to steal card details.
3. Does Tbay use a bot on WhatsApp or Telegram to process trades?
No. Any bot offering to auto-process a trade or provide support on these platforms is fake. But on Telegram , Tbay has only one official channel https://t.me/Tbayplatform and an official Telegram mini app https://t.me/TbayApp_bot. where you can trade.
4. Will Tbay ever call or text me asking for my OTP?
No, never — not by phone call, not by SMS. If this happens, don't respond directly; contact us through the app instead.
Join us now
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://tbay.store
Facebook: Tbay
Tbay App: Google Play Store & App Store
