Fake message: Is CBN aware of this?

Bode Adewumi, Lagos - updated: Wednesday 04-11-2009

READERS of this column will readily remember that I have written so much about the activities of fraudsters concerning their usage of the Information and Communications Technology tools to inflict financial wounds on so many people.

I had thought that I had had enough writing on their nefarious activities, but I never knew I would be returning to the topic so soon.

The subject matter of my volte-face on the issue was an e-mail message making the rounds. I first received the mail about a month ago, but I thought little about it. But when I got it again last week, I knew I have to write about it this time. Two reasons made my mind up.

One, the message is well-articulated and planned out that it looked so real that it is bound to hook some Nigerians. The other reason is whether the Central Bank of Nigeria is aware of this dangerous message. I remember there was a time the bad boys were hacking into the website of Interswitch, the operator of the country’s ATMs with the aim of duping the people.

After the company learnt about this dangerous development, it promptly issued statements repudiating the messages and the intention of the fraudsters. It did this through various forms of advertisements, both in electronical and the print media. The result was that the idea behind that nefarious scam was killed and now the dare-devil fraudsters are at it again.

Part of the mail read thus: “From Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Dear ATM Card Holder, because of high rate of fraud, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has decided to put extra security on all ATM machine to secure you and your money while you use the ATM cards for withdrawals.

“This measure will include an E-mail/SMS verification code which shall be sent to your mobile number or E-mail addresses anytime your ATM card is slot (sic) into any ATM machine. As a result, you are required to Upgrade your ATM card information to the new ATM machine code including your mobile number and E-mail address where verification codes will be sent.

“The new ATM machine verification codes will ensure you to have access and use of your ATM card. Kindly assist us by filling the individual customer form, the form will be made available by clicking on http.//atmcentercbnnigeriat 35.com/CBN – online service.html.” The message added a subtle threat to goad the people into forwarding their ATM card information as it added that failure to upgrade ones ATM card would result in ATM machine rejecting such card.

The moment I saw the message about one month ago, I knew it was one of the designs of the fraudsters and I thought little about it. And in any case, I was a bit tired of their antics that I just deleted it from my mail box at the time. But when I got this latest one, a complete version of the earlier one, I knew I had to write about it because it may get some unsuspecting Nigerians.

Yes, it will get some Nigerians who never bother to know simple facts about events around them. For one, the CBN has no business relating to the banks’ customers and therefore would not have mailed commercial banks’ customers for any reason whatsoever. And although, the author of this message had tried electronically to craft a ‘wonderful’ message, yet he displayed his ignorance by quoting Mr. Tony Ede as the signatory to the message.

Everybody, except those who may choose not to know, must be aware now that Mr. Ede, whose name he used to sign the message has long left the CBN. Again, the headquarters of the CBN is in Abuja and not Lagos as quoted by the fraudster(s) in the message. All this will not be lost on those who know, but how many people are in the know anyway?

This is why I said the CBN must act fast by alerting the public to this heinous message circulating round the country with a view to nipping their intention in bud. When the Interswitch saga was on, there was so much confusion until the company moved to douse the tension generated by the activities of the fraudsters at that particular time.

I always wonder why some Nigerians are not thinking of how they can help their country grow, but how to bring it down. I asked myself why these unscrupulous elements could not think of how and where they could apply their knowledge of the computer to their advantage rather than thinking of how they could get little money for the mundane things of life.