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NITDA Issues Public Disclaimer on CPM Scam
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has formally dissociated itself from a fraudulent online marketing and earnings platform known as “CPM,” which is allegedly using the agency’s name to perpetrate a secondary extortion and recovery scam.
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In a public warning, the agency said it received multiple reports that operators of the CPM platform were falsely claiming NITDA was assisting them to recover funds lost by subscribers—claims used to demand additional payments from already affected victims.
How the CPM Fraud Allegedly Works
According to NITDA, users of the CPM platform were informed that the system had been breached and that extra funds were required to resolve the issue and recover their investments. The operators allegedly escalated the deception by asserting that NITDA was directly involved in the recovery process and that payments were needed to “support” the agency’s intervention.
NITDA categorically denied these claims, stressing that it does not collect money from citizens, does not provide incident response services to private platforms, and does not assist private companies in resolving cybersecurity incidents in exchange for payment.
Classic Social Engineering and Recovery Scam
The agency described the CPM claims as false and misleading, noting that the pattern aligns with social engineering fraud.
NITDA warned that this “double loss” tactic is common. First, a platform collapses or freezes withdrawals, leaving victims desperate to recover their funds. Fraudsters then impersonate trusted institutions to extract additional fees, which ultimately vanish.
The Mechanics of the Scam
Based on an official disclaimer, NITDA outlined the scam’s key stages:
- The Initial Freeze: CPM allegedly restricted withdrawals, claiming its systems had been hacked.
- The Impersonation: Operators then informed users that NITDA had stepped in to manage the cybersecurity incident.
- The Extortion: Using NITDA’s regulatory reputation, victims were pressured to pay extra fees to facilitate emergency fund recovery.
Official Clarification from NITDA
Reacting to the development, Hadiza Umar, Director of Corporate Communications at NITDA, said the claims are entirely false and misleading. She emphasized that:
- No Fee Collection: NITDA never requests or collects money from individuals for incident response or fund recovery.
- No Private Intervention: The agency does not intervene in private online platforms’ technical or financial issues for a fee.
How Nigerians Can Protect Themselves
NITDA urged members of the public to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated online fraud tactics and advised the following:
- Stop Sending Money: Do not pay any fees to individuals or platforms promising to recover lost online investments.
- Verify Government Claims: Always confirm claims of government involvement through the official NITDA portal or verified channels.
- Protect Sensitive Information: Never share banking details, cryptocurrency wallet keys, or personal identification data with unverified entities.
- Report Suspicious Activity: Report suspected digital fraud to relevant authorities or NITDA’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT).
For verified updates and official information, Nigerians are advised to rely only on the agency’s official website: National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
