The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has raised an alarm over the hacking of the social media accounts of its board chairman, Chiedu Ebie, by fraudsters.
The commission revealed that the chairman’s Facebook account had been cloned, while his Instagram account was compromised, with the hackers exploiting these platforms to defraud unsuspecting individuals.
In a statement released on Monday in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, condemned the activities of the impostors, describing them as criminal.
The statement also highlighted that the fraudsters had been using the name and logo of the commission to circulate fraudulent business proposals.
The statement reads, “It has come to our notice that some fraudulent individuals have hacked the social media handles of the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr Chiedu Ebie.
“The criminally-minded individuals cloned the chairman’s Facebook account and hacked his Instagram account, ostensibly to use the compromised accounts to defraud unsuspecting persons.
“The impersonators are also using the name and logo of the NDDC to send out dubious business proposals. Clearly, the cloned accounts are being used to dupe members of the public and, in the process, bring the NDDC and its management into disrepute. The security agencies have been alerted to investigate and bring the criminals to justice.”
The commission urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid engaging with these fraudulent schemes. Efforts are underway to regain control of the compromised accounts.
“Efforts are being made to recover the compromised accounts. In the meantime, the public is advised not to transact with these faceless and dubious scammers. Anyone who deals with such persons or entities does so at their own risk.
“The NDDC will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting from such transactions. We urge the public to report any suspicious or fraudulent online activities to the appropriate authorities for necessary action,” the statement warned.
The commission further encouraged individuals with legitimate dealings to verify all information through the NDDC’s official website and authenticated social media channels.
Suspicious or fraudulent online activities should be reported to the relevant authorities for prompt action, it added.