Police Warn Criminals Using COVID-19 To Dupe

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Sunday warned over the increasing activities of criminal gangs who he said were using the pandemic to scam innocent people from across the world through their various channels.

Adamu disclosed that intelligence reports obtained from the International Criminal Police Organisation headquarters in Lyon, France showed that Internet fraud and related activities are on the rise this period.

The Inspector General of Police made this known, in a statement, in Abuja, on Sunday, by the force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba noted that cybercrime will increase, following the lockdown imposed across the country to avert the outbreak of Coronavirus.

According to him, “Specifically, intelligence obtained from the INTERPOL headquarters shows that scammers in Nigeria and other parts of the globe have begun to create and set up fraudulent websites, e-commerce platforms, fake social media accounts and emails claiming to sell and deliver (COVID-19) medical products.

“In some cases, they use the names of prominent companies involved in the production and distribution of these items. Victims are then asked to pay via bank transfer.”

The IGP also urged members of the public not to click on the links sent by unrecognized email address, while noting that strong passwords should be used to protect sensitive accounts and documents online.

He further added, “You are advised to be wary of scammers who use names of prominent companies to create fraudulent websites, e-commerce platforms, social media accounts and emails claiming to sell and deliver medical products.

“You should ignore and report calls purportedly emanating from a caller who pretends to be a relative currently being treated at the hospital asking you to pay for the cost of the medical treatment by transferring money or by paying cash to fake public health representatives.”

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