The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned Nigerians against conversing with a fake eNaira Twitter handle, @enaira_cbdc, stating that the financial regulator is not on the social media.
Shortly after the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, the Twitter handle surfaced online, imitating the CBN.
The @enaira_cbdc offered 50 billion eNaira currency to individuals on the social networking site that applies through the link it provided on its Twitter page, but the apex bank said it’s a means to steal eNaira wallet details of Nigerians.
CBN said it hasn’t been on Twitter since the Nigerian government discontinued the operation of the social media in the country, and eNaira social media handles are only on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
In the statement released on its website and Facebook, it described the handlers of @enaira_cbdc as fraudsters involved in illegal activities.
CBN said, “Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to criminal and illegal activities of some individuals and a fraudulent twitter handle, @enaira_cbdc purported to belong to the Bank.
“The impostor handle and fraudulent persons have been posting messages related to the eNaira with the intent of wooing unsuspecting Nigerians with claims that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), among other falsities, is disbursing the sum of 50 Billion eNaira currency.
“These impostors are bent on defrauding innocent and unsuspecting members of the public through the links attached to their messages for application to obtain eNaira wallets and become beneficiaries of the said 50 billion eNaira currency.”
It warned members of the public to be wary of fraudsters and verify information about the eNaira.