The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has posted an official release to the public on new cyber crime tendencies.
The crimes are perpetrated by fraudsters who have become desperate in the face of the economic hardship brought on by the covid-19 lockdown.
The statement signed 6th April by Isaac Okoroafor, Director, Corporate Communications, cautioned that the criminals are.
“taking advantage of the current “COVID-19” pandemic to defraud citizens, steal sensitive information, or gain unauthorized access to computers or mobile devices using various techniques.
“This trend is not peculiar to Nigeria as there has been a rise in COVID-19-related cyber- criminal activities all over the world. Our priority is to ensure that Nigerian banking customers are aware of the ongoing trend to prevent them from falling victim to such cyber- crimes.”
CBN then went on to list the methods used to defraud innocent Nigerians. They include:
- Phishing campaigns
- Impersonation
- relief packages
Recommended measures to avoid falling victim:
- Beware of and verify emails or phone calls claiming to be from NCDC, WHO or Government, especially when such emails request your banking information or to click on a link. Visit official websites of relevant organizations for desired information;
- Avoid clicking on links or attachments in emails that claim to have more information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Avoid downloading mobile apps from untrusted sources; and
- Obtain relief package or other information from trusted news media.
Official CBN press statement:
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Alert! Beware of COVID-19 Cyber-attacks, Fraud…ow.ly/2uuB50z6t29 #CBN #COVID19 #Cyberattacks