Banks warn customers of fraudsters taking advantage of NIN exercise

Banks have warned customers of fraudsters who are taking advantage of the National Identity Number (NIN) exercise of the federal government to access their mobile phone to steal vital information.  Specifically, FCMB in a message to its customers stated that, “Following recent directive by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) requiring customers to link their NIN to their mobile phone numbers, please beware of fraudsters who may try to take advantage of the situation to steal valuable personal information from you.

“You may receive calls or messages from people claiming to be from NIMC or any of the telecommunications service providers (e.g. MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9mobile etc).

“They may go as far as telling you that a NIN verification code has been sent to you and you should call out the code to them. Please ignore such calls or messages, as these sort of techniques can be used to carry out SIM swap and online payment related frauds with your identity.

“To avoid falling victim, ensure you follow the official directions from your mobile phone service provider to link and verify your national identity.

“If your service provider is unable to validate the NIN you submitted, they will instruct you to visit their offices for further verification. Be cyber smart and protect yourself from fraud. Stay vigilant. Stay safe always.

“If you suspect any compromise on your account, please call our 24-Hour contact centre immediately on 07003290000 or send an email to [email protected].”