The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has distanced itself from CPM fund recovery claims, warning Nigerians against further payments tied to what it suggested could be fraudulent activity.
In a public disclaimer issued on Monday, NITDA said it received reports that affected users of the platform were told the system had been “hacked” and that additional payments were needed to fix the problem and recover their funds.
According to the agency, the platform’s operators allegedly claimed that NITDA was involved in the recovery effort and that subscribers had to pay more money to support the process.
However, the agency rejected the claims outright, stating, “NITDA wishes to categorically state that these claims are false and misleading.”
NITDA stressed that it does not collect money from citizens to recover lost funds, handle cybersecurity incidents or support private entities facing cyber-related problems.
“As a government agency and Nigeria’s Information Technology regulator, NITDA does not request or collect money from citizens to provide incident response support, recover funds, or assist private entities in resolving cybersecurity incidents,” it maintained.
It warned members of the public against sending additional money to anyone claiming to represent NITDA or linking payment demands to the agency.
“Members of the public are therefore strongly advised to exercise caution and avoid making any additional payments to any individual, group, or platform claiming that such payments are required by or connected to NITDA,” it said.
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NITDA noted that the pattern of requests being made to affected subscribers may point to possible fraud or social engineering tactics designed to exploit people already trying to recover lost investments.
The agency urged Nigerians to be cautious when dealing with online investment and trading platforms.
It also advised the public against sending more money in attempts to recover previous losses, urging users to verify claims of government involvement through official channels, and warning against sharing sensitive financial or personal information with unverified parties.
“NITDA remains committed to promoting cybersecurity awareness and protecting the public against cyber-enabled fraud and deceptive online activities,” NITDA added.
Alex is a business journalist cum data enthusiast with the Pinnacle Daily. He can be reached via ealex@thepinnacleng.com, @ehime_alex on X