CBN advises bank customers on fraudulent sms

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has warned customers of banks to beware of fraudulent messages demanding for personal information from them.

The apex bank in a statement by its Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, said such messages were intended to lure customers of banks into disclosing their bank details to fraudsters.It said, “The CBN wishes to caution bank customers against falling for the activities of unscrupulous individuals who demand for details of their debit cards as well as Personal Identification Number.

“Those messages and calls are intended to lure bank account holders to reveal their personal details, which the fraudsters could use to defraud them.The public is warned that neither the CBN/Deposit Money Banks nor their employees will ever call bank customers requesting for passwords.”

This is not the first time the CBN would be cautioning bank customers against fraudulent messages meant to divulge their bank details.

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There were such repeated warnings last year at the peak of Bank Verification registration, following frequent complaints from people over unsolicited mails and text messages.

It had said customers should beware of messages alerting them to deactivate or suspend their bank accounts due to uncompleted BVN registration process.

The biometric identification scheme, which was launched on February 14, 2014, is aimed at increasing security checks on customers’ funds and increasing in lending to members of the public.

But fraudsters kept sending fraudulent mails to unsuspecting customers to register for the BVN online. Emails sent by the fraudsters advised customers to update their personal and security online information or have their accounts blocked within a specified period.