Fraudsters exploit victims’ BVN, phone numbers to create fake accounts – Police
Nigerian security agents have issued a warning to the public about fraudsters who are exploiting innocent victims’ Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) to create multiple pseudo-accounts for fraudulent activities. These criminals have also resorted to hacking victims’ phone numbers and duplicating them to carry out deceptive transactions.
Recent events shed light on the operations of these fraudsters, as they used the BVN of a well-known media mogul based in Abuja (name withheld for security reasons) to create numerous accounts without the victim’s knowledge.
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The situation came to light when the victim discovered a “Post No Debit” restriction on one of her bank accounts. Upon reporting the issue to her bank, she was unexpectedly arrested by the Nigeria Police Force Financial Crime Unit.
According to the victim’s account given to LEADERSHIP, the police officers calmly explained that her BVN had been linked to multiple accounts with her identity, including her picture. These fraudulent accounts had been used for criminal activities across the country.
Shockingly, none of these accounts were connected to her phone number. It is alleged that the fraudsters collaborated with certain bankers to attach different phone numbers to the accounts, while the victim only received alerts on her personal account.
Regrettably, the victim remains unable to access her personal account or retrieve her funds, as the police have stated that they are still conducting an ongoing investigation into the matter.
Speaking on the development, one of the officers’ who has handled such cases before, simply identified as ASP Ameh, called on Nigerians to be watchful, stating that this was a new dimension to the usual BVN-related fraud as the normal crime of hacking into victims’ accounts using BVN linked number and steal from the account.
He said just last month, the Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos State confirmed the arrest of two members of a syndicate linked to the hacking of no fewer than 1,000 bank accounts in Nigeria.
The spokesperson for the command, SP Hauwa Idris-Adamu said the suspects, who specialised in hacking local banks, were nabbed at their hideout in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, following a petition by the United Bank for Africa.
Idris-Adamu identified the suspects as Yusuf Ademola, 40, and Adesina Abiodun, 50, adding that efforts were on to arrest other accomplices linked to the crime.
She said, “The suspects confessed to the crime that they have many syndicates all over Nigeria and that they use software to hack into customers’ accounts and move their money undetected from any bank they wish.
However, the modus operandi of these fraudsters is to have a customer’s BVN-linked phone number and bank alert for easy transfer of the money.
“Over 1,000 customers’ accounts have been hacked and defrauded across the country,” she said.