Important Notice: SWAPD Services in Nigeria Will Be Permanently Discontinued Starting June 1st, 2026

[SWAPD]

Starting June 1st, 2026, SWAPD will permanently block access to its services from Nigeria at the Cloudflare/network level.

Current members from Nigeria will have two options moving forward:

1. Use a VPN
2. PM Administrators to request IP whitelisting

Important Note

IP whitelisting will ONLY be considered for members with actual marketplace history, meaning:

• completed purchases
• completed sales
• established activity on SWAPD

Users with no meaningful transaction history will not be eligible for whitelisting.

We understand this decision may upset some legitimate members from the region, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. However, this is part of a broader long term strategy focused on improving platform quality, reducing abuse, limiting spam/scam activity, and restoring the premium experience SWAPD was originally known for.

This decision was not made lightly.

Thank you for your understanding.

[TETiK]

What a racist admin ! Rare W moments for @SWAPD

[Hepaphras]

Swapd has been the most peaceful freelance platform for me since I started my freelance career.

Huge shoutout to the friend who introduced me to this site, and sincere thanks to my trainer who taught me, trained me, and guided me in delivering services here.

It’s been an honor connecting with great Swapd users from around the world.

Hearing this news this morning is heartbreaking.
Is this really the end of the journey, Swapd admins?

[SWAPD]

@Hepaphras

Hearing this news this morning is heartbreaking.
Is this really the end of the journey, Swapd admins?

From what we can see, you’ve already been actively using a VPN, so nothing really changes for you. This change is primarily aimed at low effort scammers and time wasters who flood SWAPD with low quality services, spam, and failed deliveries, ultimately ruining the experience for legitimate buyers and sellers alike.

[Gravity2]

Pathetic this platform has been the only best place i ever been to it is a pity to see this.

[SWAPD]

We are sorry you feel that way. Since you have actual sales history on SWAPD, you are eligible to be whitelisted and remain on the platform.

You guys don’t see what we see…

We see all PMs, chats, reports, disputes, and internal activity behind the scenes.

What’s truly frustrating is when a brand new buyer joins SWAPD with genuine interest in purchasing a service, only to have their inbox instantly flooded by 10 different Nigerian users who signed up 10 minutes earlier, all claiming:

“I can do that.”

Days or weeks pass, nothing gets delivered, communication dies, excuses pile up, and eventually the buyer leaves disappointed. In many cases, they even go on other platforms and publicly say things like:

“SWAPD sucks.”

That damages the reputation of the entire marketplace and hurts legitimate sellers the most.

[ZKO]

I think SWAPD should implement a system similar to Reddit’s trust and karma algorithm. New accounts should be monitored automatically by bots and have limited permissions until they reach a certain trust level through successful activity and positive behavior.

For example, new users could have restrictions on:
• Number of listings they can post
• Inbox/message limits
• Access to premium categories
• Ability to post high-risk services

As they complete successful deals, receive positive feedback, avoid disputes, and remain active over time, their trust score would increase automatically. This would help reduce spam, fake experts, scammers, and low-quality signups while rewarding genuine users who contribute positively to the platform.

[Hepaphras]

@SWAPD

you’ve already been actively using a VPN, so nothing really changes for you.

Actually, I’m not active in the aspect of using VPN, I only used it to access some cases this morning.
And it’s not only about myself, But other people..

I’m truly aware abt the term violation and spamming users, Although I Believed everyone starts from somewhere.. the disappointment started when buyers are completely dissatisfied about the final result, After all promises, although I believe in imperfection.

”And I believe my country users will make amendment in that aspect…”

”Y’all should start giving cases your all, And make Nigeria Great Again….”

Thanks for allowing the use of VPN atleast the site will still be accessible.

It’s a pity to the new users tho, who are just getting their journey started.

[SWAPD]

@Hepaphras

It’s a pity to the new users tho, who are just getting their journey started.

Can’t do that at the expense of others. SWAPD was aimed to be a better place, built for higher things! So our motto always was, no newbies allowed.

[SWAPD]

@ZKO

New accounts should be monitored automatically by bots and have limited permissions until they reach a certain trust level through successful activity and positive behavior.

For example, new users could have restrictions on:
• Number of listings they can post
• Inbox/message limits
• Access to premium categories
• Ability to post high-risk services

We have all that, and we plan to increase the sensitivity of these filters.

[mtteamsolutions]

These decision will affect Nigerians that are only looking to sell Social Media Accounts without offering any service

[Chyrigel]

I’m not sure what’s going on with SWAPD and Nigerians in particular, nor the extent of this beef, the way SWAPD singles Nigerians out as scammers all the time. But can this restriction be bypassed by simply using VPNs, or are new sellers with actual assets and properties to sell, but who are yet to make any sales, and therefore have no sales history, going to be banned from the site?

[SWAPD]

@Chyrigel

or are new sellers with actual assets and properties to sell, but who are yet to make any sales, and therefore have no sales history, going to be banned from the site?

No one is getting banned. You can still use SWAPD through VPN. This change is aimed at people who virtually have no money (to buy a good VPN) and come in here asking for 10K USD for services they can’t deliver.

[SWAPD]

We absolutely believe that over time this will benefit not only the platform overall, but also legitimate Nigerian members who continue doing business on SWAPD despite the restrictions. Once we stop driving buyers away with spam, failed deliveries, and unfulfilled promises, the overall marketplace experience improves for everyone, whether you are Polish, Turkish, Nigerian, or even from Mars.

[D.ROCK]

Hi , SWAPD Administration,

Thank you again for your transparency and for the work you do to protect the platform and its community. I completely understand that your decision is based on reducing abuse, fraud, spam, and maintaining a higher standard across the marketplace.

I would respectfully like to make one more appeal for reconsideration regarding Nigerian users.

Fraud and abuse are unfortunately global issues and are not limited to one country alone. Many countries around the world, including highly developed ones, also experience online fraud and marketplace abuse. I say this respectfully and not to create division or negativity toward any region or people. Every country has both bad actors and honest individuals.

Because of this, I hope SWAPD may consider focusing more on individual behavior, verification, professionalism, and trust-building rather than broad restrictions that may also affect legitimate users who are trying to grow honestly.

Many Nigerians on the platform are students, freelancers, beginners, or individuals currently learning professional online skills through courses and mentorship programs. Some may not yet have large transaction histories simply because they are still building themselves and trying to become trusted members of the industry.

I kindly ask if SWAPD could consider allowing at least a limited number of genuine Nigerian users through:
• manual reviews,
• stricter verification,
• probation periods,
• monitored access,
• or limited account permissions until trust is established.

This would still protect the platform while giving honest people a chance to prove themselves and grow professionally.

I sincerely respect whatever final decision is made, and I appreciate the effort SWAPD puts into maintaining quality and security. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this request.

[Vullnet1]

I understand this change. I posted something on Buyer’s Request and my lord the spam that followed with ChatGPT replies was crazy.

Good call this will definitely make it better.

[SWAPD]

@D.ROCK

Many Nigerians on the platform are students, freelancers, beginners, or individuals currently learning professional online skills through courses and mentorship programs. Some may not yet have large transaction histories simply because they are still building themselves and trying to become trusted members of the industry.

This is the thing. We don’t want people using us as testing grounds for their online careers.

[D.ROCK]

I believe communities become stronger not only by removing bad actors, but also by giving genuine people the opportunity to grow, learn, and earn trust over time. Many users from Nigeria truly admire the standards and professionalism SWAPD represents and want to be part of that environment in a positive way. I hope the administration may consider a balanced approach that protects the platform while still leaving room for honest individuals who are committed to following the rules and contributing meaningfully to the community.

Please do not see this message as opposition to your decision, but rather as a respectful request from users who still believe in the platform and hope to continue building their future within the SWAPD community. Even a limited pathway for verified and committed Nigerian users would mean a lot to many people trying to grow professionally and responsibly online.

[porcupine]

@SWAPD

This is the thing. We don’t want people using us as testing grounds for their online careers.

[SWAPD]