NCC Sensitises Bauchi Residents against e-Fraud

*Advises them to disregard request for release of their bank accounts, ATM PINs

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has enjoined Nigerians to shun any text message requesting them to release any information or figures on their Automated Teller Machine(ATM) Cards, bank accounts or passwords to avoid falling victims of electronic fraud.
The commission also warned Nigerians, particularly residents of Bauchi State over the increase in electronic fraud that’s impacting their hard earned money through their commercial banks and the Point of Sales (PoS).

The Director, Consumer Affairs of the NCC, Alhaji Umar Alkassim, who gave the warning at a one-day sensitisation in Bauchi metropolis at the weekend, stressed that the sensitisation was meant to protect the general public from fraudsters electronically.

The sensitisation exercise which was held in Bauchi with the theme, “Shine Your Eyes, No Fall Mugu” was organised by the NCC in collaboration with Aisha Akwaku & Associates, drew hundreds of participants from Bauchi local government area.

The Director, represented by the commission’s Head, Consumer Policy Department and Monitoring Unit, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mr. Banji Ojo said the essence was to continue the Commission’s Consumer-centric initiative of dishing out adequate information to the people, for them to protect themselves.

Alkassim, lamented that telecommunications subscribers were still being defrauded due to unnecessary trust in family, friends and strangers by exposing their sensitive information on the internet and offline, pointing out that the public needed to be abreast with the tactics being used by fraudsters, for them to know how to avert them.

He said the commission was collaborating with critical stakeholders, such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other relevant agencies in the fight against e- banking fraudsters country.

The Director then warned the people not to give the five vital information on their debit cards to anyone, “no matter how close they are to you.”
“This information include, the 16 – digit number, three- digit number at the back, card name,expiry date and the card PIN,” he added.

In his remarks, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Muhammad Hamisu Shira, commended the commission for the initiative, saying that it would help consumers to learn about protecting their financial transactions electronically.

Shira, represented by the Ministry’s Director of Cooperatives, Alhaji Usman Adamu Gitals, said the sensitisation was apt in view of the increasing number of fraud activities being perpetrated by some unpatriotic people.