The Central Bank of Nigeria has issued a warning about a rise in fraudulent emails and online messages falsely linked to the institution, urging the public to remain cautious. The alert was made in a statement released late Tuesday by Hakama Sidi-Ali, the CBN's Acting Director of Corporate Communications. The bank said these deceptive messages are designed to trick recipients into clicking malicious links, disclosing personal data, or believing false claims about its leadership, licensing, and policies. Such scams aim to compromise personal accounts and steal sensitive financial information. The CBN emphasized that its official website, www.cbn.gov.ng, is the only verified source for its communications. It advised Nigerians to avoid unsolicited messages, refrain from clicking unknown links, and verify any questionable content through trusted channels. The bank also encouraged reporting suspected fraud to law enforcement agencies. It reaffirmed ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure in collaboration with relevant agencies. This follows the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding between the CBN and the Nigerian Communications Commission to combat SIM-related fraud and improve consumer protection in the digital space. The agreement was signed at the CBN headquarters in Abuja, targeting enhanced coordination between financial and telecom sectors.
The CBN warns of fake emails while partnering with the NCC on SIM fraud, yet many Nigerians still receive unverified messages from numbers linked to official-looking bank alerts. Millions rely on mobile banking without access to consistent digital literacy tools to detect such scams. If basic verification steps are unclear to informed urban users, rural populations face even greater exposure. The joint framework may strengthen systems, but its real test lies in reaching those most at risk.
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