The Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks has advised bank customers to stay alert to phishing scams and other forms of cyber fraud.
It cautioned that criminals are increasingly using fake bank alerts, cloned websites and impersonation accounts to steal sensitive financial information.
The warning comes after a fraudulent text message was sent out in the name of several banks. FactCheckAfrica debunked the message and found that the link in it led to a cloned internet banking website built to harvest customers’ login credentials, BVNs, card details and transaction PINs.
The episode underlines the risks of digital banking fraud in Nigeria. In June, Wema Bank suspended its activities on X (formerly Twitter) amid reports of more than 70 fake accounts posing as the bank and its ALAT platform.
In August, Zenith Bank Plc disclosed that it was investigating unauthorised access to customer data linked to a global cyberattack.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, cautioned that fraudsters were adopting ever more sophisticated methods to pass themselves off as trusted banking brands and obtain customers’ personal information, making their schemes hard to tell apart from genuine communications.
“When a scam message carries your name, your phone number or your bank’s logo, it looks real. That is exactly why customers must slow down. No bank in Nigeria will ask you to confirm your PIN, password, OTP or BVN through a link,” Sipe said.
Sipe acknowledged the steps banks have taken to improve fraud detection and customer protection, as well as the regulatory measures introduced through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s mandatory cybersecurity self assessment guide. He stressed, however, that these efforts must be backed by customer awareness and vigilance, especially when requests for sensitive banking information are involved.
“Banks can strengthen their security systems, but fraudsters continue to find ways to exploit unsuspecting customers. We must all remain vigilant. Always pause, verify requests through official channels and report anything suspicious before taking action,” he added.
He urged customers not to click links in unsolicited messages that ask them to verify, reactivate or secure their bank accounts.
Sipe also warned customers against sharing personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords, one-time passwords (OTPs), card verification values (CVVs) or BVNs in response to suspicious requests.
He advised customers to confirm such requests directly with their banks through official mobile applications, verified social media accounts or published customer service numbers.
