A Nigerian woman has raised the alarm after allegedly losing money from her bank account and having her Telegram account compromised after clicking a fraudulent WhatsApp link promising a ₦50,000 Federal Government cash grant.
The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, narrated her experience in a video shared by YabaLeft Online on X, where she cried out and warned Nigerians against falling victim to similar messages.
According to her, she had repeatedly received messages containing links to the supposed ₦50,000 relief payment but ignored them until a friend persuaded her to try one.
She said the friend claimed to know someone who had received the money, making her believe the offer was genuine.
“You guys, do you remember that 50k grant that the state government is doing? A lot of people have been sending me the link, the link I kept ignoring. So one of my friends sent it to me… She said that she knew somebody who gave the 50k. And I clicked on the link,” she said.
How the fake ₦50,000 grant scam allegedly worked
The woman explained that after clicking the link, she was instructed to complete several tasks, including sharing the message with five or 10 people.
She followed the instructions and was subsequently asked to provide her bank account number, which she submitted.
However, instead of receiving the promised financial assistance, she allegedly began experiencing unauthorised withdrawals from her account.
“Since they took my account number, they just dey debit me,” she lamented.
She further claimed that the website redirected her to join a Telegram bot as part of the registration process. Her Telegram account was subsequently compromised, leaving her distressed and pleading for help.
Fake website impersonates Federal Government relief programme
A version of the fraudulent message circulating on WhatsApp claims that the Federal Government, through the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, is offering ₦50,000 to Nigerians without requiring their Bank Verification Number (BVN).
The message directs recipients to a website, billnova.online/fg50k, and encourages them to share the link with other people.
However, the website is not the official platform of the Federal Government’s National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) programme.
Although NERSI is a genuine government intervention, its ₦50,000 payments are intended for selected vulnerable households identified through existing national records. The programme is not an open cash grant available to everyone who completes an online form.
According to the information provided by the ministry, beneficiaries are contacted directly through approved payment providers, including Opay and Moniepoint.
The official programme website is https://fmhapr.gov.ng/nersi/.
EFCC warns Nigerians against phishing scams
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also warned Nigerians about phishing schemes in which fraudsters impersonate government agencies and other trusted organisations to obtain sensitive personal and financial information.
Anyone who has submitted banking details through a suspicious link should immediately contact their bank to secure their account, report unauthorised transactions and request appropriate protective measures.
Victims should also change compromised passwords and secure affected accounts, including Telegram.
Nigerians are advised not to share suspicious links or provide bank details, PINs and one-time passwords (OTPs) to unverified websites.
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