Access Bank Plc, Nigeria’s largest retail bank, has urged its customers to be on the lookout for fraudsters who are using new scam methods to rip people off by preying on the distress that comes with the nation-wide lockdown.
Access Bank said fraudsters contact their potential victim either via mail, phone call or text to request for their bank details with the promise of crediting their account, after which they proceed to withdraw the money in the victim’s bank account.
“They often come under the guise of government officials, social advocates and false NGOs allocated to share the relief fund that was promised by the government. This, unfortunately, is a fraudulent scheme and given the current state of affairs, an easy scam to fall for,” Access Bank said in a statement.
Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access Bank Plc., Victor Etuokwu said, “Access Bank is imploring its customers to be wary of any message, demanding their personal or bank details.
“Customers must remember that the Bank will never ask for their BVN, full card PAN, PIN, mobile app activation code, OTP or password as it is readily available to the Bank via its database.
“Any call, email and text message, claiming to be from Access Bank and demanding for any of these details is certainly a scam.”
Etuokwu went further to advise, “Also, customers are advised to refrain from sharing user-generated codes when migrating from the old Diamond Bank app to the Access More app. With knowledge of this pin, these fraudsters can gain entry to your bank app, and from there, have access to the money in your account.”
He stated that because of the peculiar nature of the lockdown situation, people are exposed to all sorts of threats including financial, which may sometimes come in a different and unusual format.
As a result of this, Etuokwu noted that everyone should remain vigilant at all times and report all suspicious activities to the appropriate authority.
Access Bank said to report any suspected fraud case, customers are advised to call the Bank’s customer care line: 01-2702005 or send an inquiry via email to the Bank’s official email address: contactcenter@accessbankplc.com.
