Abuja, Nigeria — The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has alerted the public to fraudulent schemes in which scammers are falsely claiming affiliation with the agency to extort money from victims of failed online investment platforms.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NITDA said it had received reports involving a questionable online platform identified as “CPM,” whose operators allegedly told users that their systems had been hacked and demanded additional payments under the guise of facilitating fund recovery with the agency’s involvement.
The agency firmly dismissed the claims, stating that it does not request or collect money from members of the public for incident response, cybersecurity support, or recovery of lost investments.
> “As a government agency and Nigeria’s Information Technology regulator, NITDA does not request or collect money from citizens to provide incident response support, recover funds, or assist private entities in resolving cybersecurity incidents,” the statement read.
NITDA stressed that any claims suggesting otherwise are false, misleading, and designed to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
Public Warning on Online Scams
The agency urged citizens to remain vigilant when engaging with online investment and trading platforms, warning against making additional payments to recover previously lost funds.
It advised the public to verify all claims of government involvement through official channels and avoid sharing sensitive personal or financial information with unverified sources.
NITDA also encouraged victims of cyber-related fraud to report incidents to relevant law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The agency described the tactic as a form of social engineering designed to exploit victims’ desperation after financial loss.
Signed by Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, NITDA reiterated its commitment to strengthening cybersecurity awareness and protecting Nigerians from digital fraud.
NITDA Warns Nigerians: Fraudsters Using Agency’s Name to Scam Victims of Online Investment Platforms”
NITDA warns Nigerians against fraudsters using its name to scam investment victims, urging caution and verification of all online financial claims.
