The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has alerted Nigerians to a new scam involving fake airline ticket promos used by fraudsters to steal personal information and siphon money from victims’ bank accounts.
In a statement on Friday, the anti-graft agency said the scheme disguises itself as a discount offer from foreign airlines but is powered by malware that grants hackers unauthorised access to victims’ financial data.
“A case in point was a ‘Promo’ offering the public 50% discount of ticket purchase in a leading foreign airline.
“Victims are led to pay a token of N500 into the account of the airline. The N500 payment, which is now dressed as charity payment, is the leeway through which the fraudsters gain access to their victim’s personal information,” EFCC said.
The commission said victims are tricked into downloading an app supposedly belonging to the airline, after which their details are harvested and used to move funds to microfinance bank accounts and fintech wallets.
Efcc stated that the stolen money is often laundered through cryptocurrency purchases.
The EFCC also decried the role of a group of young Nigerians described as “Account Suppliers” or members of a “KYC Group” who help fuel the fraud.
According to the statement, these individuals pay unsuspecting citizens between N1,500 and N2,000 in exchange for sensitive identity documents such as NIN slips, BVNs, and passport photographs.
The data is then resold to fintech firms for around N5,000 and used to open fake accounts that support investment scams and other criminal activities.
“Information available to the Commission revealed that the actors are up to 12,000 all over the country seeking account donors,” the EFCC said.
The agency disclosed that arrests have been made and recoveries are ongoing.
It warned Nigerians never to surrender their personal information to strangers or serve as account donors for any reason, saying such actions could compromise national security.
“The EFCC is committed to safeguarding the financial space of the nation in the overall interests of all Nigerians,” the statement added.
