Niger State Government has uncovered a sophisticated fraud network posing as representatives of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s empowerment programme.
The scammers are reportedly moving across communities, deceitfully collecting sensitive personal data, including Bank Verification Numbers, BVN, National Identity Numbers, NIN, fingerprints, and bank details, under the pretext of registering residents for government support.
The fraudsters are said to have used this information to open digital wallet accounts on platforms such as OPay, PalmPay, and MoniePoint, taking out loans of up to N500,000.
They allegedly gave victims a mere N50,000, claiming it was empowerment money from the governor’s initiative, while keeping the remainder for themselves.
It was further reported that, after defrauding them, the scammers destroyed the SIM cards and vanished, leaving victims with unexpected debts to repay.
In a statement, Secretary to the Niger State Government, SSG, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, condemned the act, clarifying that “no government official is collecting such data door-to-door.”
He warned, “Any person asking for your BVN, NIN, bank details, or fingerprints in the name of empowerment is a fraudster.”
The SSG disclosed that the state government has directed security agencies to track down and prosecute the culprits, while advising citizens not to share personal information with anyone claiming to represent the government.
The government further reassured the public of its unwavering commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of its citizens and warned that it will not tolerate criminals hiding under the guise of empowerment initiatives to exploit the public.
Niger govt warns citizens of fraudsters exploiting ‘empowerment’ scam