The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) have identified a number of websites using various phishing tricks to attract Internet users.
Phishing is the malicious act of keeping a false website or sending a false email with the intent of masquerading as a trustworthy entity and acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details.
NITDA warned that the fake websites has capitalized on the Covid-19 pandemic to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
NITDA in a statement by its head of corporate affairs and external relations Mrs Hadiza Umar stated that “One of such tricks is misinforming the public that federal government has approved the disbursement of funds under a fictitious vote called “Lockdown Funds”.
“It then requires the user to complete an online form with their personal information including bank details for the payment to be effected.
“While NITDA is doing everything possible to shut down the websites identified as well as sanction those behind them, we call on the general public to disregard and report any such websites to the Agency for necessary action,” the statement said.
NITDA also advice Internet users not to give out their personal information to anyone online; avoid clicking unknown links and disregard offers requesting for their bank details in order to checkmate cyber security threats and possible data breach under Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The Agency called on Nigerians to know what to do when they become victims of cyber-crime while tasking them to intensify their efforts in supporting the federal government in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are all encouraged to strictly adhere to the recommendations given by health experts, and follow updates from the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant Agencies involved in the management of the pandemic,” the statement said.
