The social media within the week went agog following a fake website which requested N-power applicants to check their names as the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development allegedly releases names of successful candidates for the next stage of the N-power recruitment, while collecting essential details such as Names, Phone numbers, e-mail addresses, Npower Registration IDs and other details.
A lot of Nigerians who entered their details in the website 'https://npower-fmhds-gov-ng.web.app' are exposed to the following risks now or in the future.
1. Hacking of e-mail address: Electronic mail providers such as Google demands that your phone number becomes tied to your email address to enhance identification, protection as well as customer services. If the phone number you provided is tied to your e-mail address, a log in attempts will be made to your e-mail. You will be contacted by an unknown number asking you to send numbers sent to your phone, that he/she mistakingly entered your number in his account as your number bears resemblance with his/her's.
What to do: Drop the call immediately you hear 'send a code...........' Never use a Gmail code you never requested for.
2. Hacking of Whatsapp account: Phishing phone numbers and other IDs is becoming super easy through fake data collecting websites, Google Forms and Fake Social Media Promos. (Note: Blogs do not collect data as you have no forms to fill in a blog websites, only free information such as this in www.myinfoclock.com).
Your Phone number is your major identity for Whatsapp. Hacking your Whatsapp is as easy as setting up a Whatsapp in a new device.
You may be contacted to send a code which would be sent to you with some other gimmicks. Make sure not to fall for it.
What to do: Do not send any code to anyone and do not use any Whatsapp code you did not request for. Also, activate two-step verification in your Whatsapp.
3. Hacking of Bank Accounts: Let me firstly say that Nigerian banks are among the top 3 most secure banks in the whole world, even though there are tools and gimmicks, sometimes fetish, employed to hack bank accounts.
Phone Number and email address are two essential identites in the banking system. If you have used these identities wrongly, you may get a call telling you about some error in your bank account and you are required to provide details such as your ATM number, ATM pin, CVV, Expiry date, and BVN, while posing as a Bank Customer Care agent.
What to Do: The truth is, no bank customer care would call you requesting for these details. Just drop the call or tell him "you be mumu man."
4. Stealing/Replacement of N-power Account: This is a very huge one and was detected in the past, and was technically managed with what I termed 'private sector pragmatism'. It is one of the reasons for BVN validation during registration -to ensure that your Name in BVN and Account Number tally with your name on your Profile.
But in the 2020 recruitment, BVN validation system failed and was deactivated.
Your N-power ID is a unique number that was assigned to you after Registration which you were asked to keep safe for further usage.
Again, a lot of registrants used e-mail address as user name and their phone numbers as password.
This is how your N-power account can be stolen. During the "on-boarding process," you will be requested to edit your details and fill your account number. One who has access to your account can do the 'onbording' before you and change your password. Your N-power account is stolen, just like that.
What to do: One part is you and the other part is the Admin of the N-power website.
Your own part is to change your N-power password. Click on forget password, follow the link that will be sent to you through your e-mail address and enter new password.
On the part of the N-power website Admin is to 'lock' editing of Names, phone number, e-mail address and BVN. That's all.
This may however flag some payment if BVN name and Account Name do not tally since BVN verification failed but can be handled by uploading of some documents such BVN card which can be collated through the NPVN profiles.
5. Identity theft: Your details which you have given out can be used for fraudulent registration and applications which may be traceable to you.
What to do: Do not respond to an e-mail or a call for anything you did not apply for.
6. Fake Job Alerts: This is a serious one too. They know many of those who applied for the N-power program are job seekers and are desperately in need of jobs.
You will be sent a job invitation through text or mail, inviting you for a job interview in a location.
When you get there, your phones, wallet or money from account will be forcefully withdrawn as the location will be a dangerous one. You may make it a live or may be not.
What to do: Note every where you applied for jobs. If you get an invitation for a job you did not apply for, kindly ignore. Use your brain wisely.
7: Kidnapping: The gimmicks in number 6 above is widely used in kidnapping victims, obtaining body parts for rituals and obtaining other items for ritual purposes such as bra, pants etc.
Always do as in number 6 and use your number 6.
Stay safe and stay protected.
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