The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has raised alarm over a scam in which criminal syndicates have allegedly cloned his voice and impersonated his office to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians, particularly those seeking federal appointments.
Akume gave out the disclaimer in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga.
The SGF warned that the syndicate has been contacting prominent individuals, claiming they had been selected for federal government appointments, and demanding large sums of money to process their nominations.
“From information available to the office, the fraudsters cloned the voice of the SGF, using it to solicit money in return for federal appointments,” the statement read.
Akume also revealed that the scammers were not only impersonating him but were also using cloned phone numbers of other high-profile individuals to lend credibility to their fraudulent schemes.
“They have also cloned the phone numbers of high-profile individuals to solicit funds from unsuspecting members of the public,” he added.
According to Odunuga, the fraudsters typically send messages promising government appointments, followed by requests for payments ranging from ₦5 million to ₦15 million. Victims are further instructed to send their curriculum vitae to fake email addresses and deposit funds into bank accounts linked to both traditional banks and fintech mobile platforms.
“The warning becomes necessary as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been inundated with enquiries relating to the activities of these fraudulent individuals and groups,” the SGF noted.
Senator Akume said that all federal appointments are handled through transparent and verifiable processes and urged the public not to make any financial commitments in anticipation of such positions.
“Senator Akume emphasised that the appointment processes for Nigerians into boards and parastatals are transparent and verifiable, urging individuals not to pay any money in expectation of securing a position,” the statement reiterated.
The SGF confirmed that relevant security agencies have been alerted and are investigating the matter.
“While the relevant security agencies have been briefed on the matter, the Office of the SGF strongly advises Nigerians to report the activities of these fraudulent people to the authorities while taking all precautionary steps necessary to avoid being victims of the scammers,” the statement said.