COVID-19:  Again, EFCC Cautions Nigerians Against Fake Donations, Cures

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  has again cautioned members of the public against unsupported claims of fraudulent operators advertising cures and treatments of the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic.

The Commission is also urging the general public to be wary of fake charities springing up purporting to offer guidelines on donations to government and ordinary Nigerians in a bid to cope with the discomfort arising out of COVID- 19.

The Acting Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu who disclosed the latest development on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, added that there was need for patriotic Nigerians to be cautious of fake Covid-19 ” Do-it-yourself” tests and shun any fraudulent charities offering guidelines on donations to the public.

Magu particularly cautioned against use of unwanted mobile applications from untrusted sources and fake multilevel marketing schemes with mouth- watering returns online.

The EFCC boss said that “The Federal Government has rolled out account details of accredited banks through which donations can be made.  Please note that any other guideline for donations is fraudulent and should be ignored.

Besides, members of the public should be cautious of online investment involving various money-doubling schemes.  We are tracking all those fraudulent operators and we wish to assure Nigerians that we will bring them and their sponsors to book”.

In a Statement made available on Wednesday by the Acting Spokesperson of the EFCC, Tony Orilade, the EFCC boss also advised Nigerians against illegal “Robo Calls”.

According to him, such calls are meant to scam and steal the banking details of their victims.  “Don’t press any number required by any illegal Robo Call.  The recording machine might require you to press a number for you to speak with an operator.  This is fraudulent.  Don’t press such a number”, he said.

The EFCC boss further wants Nigerians to exercise extreme cautions over the following measures:

1. Don’t click on links from any source that you don’t know. Doing so could download Malware onto your computer or device.
2. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. If someone wants donations done in cash or by wiring money into other personal account, don’t do it.
3. Be alert and vigilant about online promotions and investment opportunities, especially on social media.

Magu assures Nigerians that the EFCC is abreast of every economic and financial crime fraudsters are developing in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic saying that the Commission will burst any scheme designed to defraud Nigerians of their hard- earned money.