The Office of the National Security Adviser and the Consumer Protection Council are on my radar today. The Nigeria Police and the Nigerian Communications Commission aren’t left out too. The fact that most of those who defraud Nigerians go about free and feeling good is the reason. My encounters give me the impression that about 75 per cent of Nigerians engage in illegal activities. And 30 per cent of this actively do something fraudulent. Why those numbers?
One, it’s easy to get away with illegal acts in Nigeria. Most of those who defraud or attempt to and are reported don’t get any attention. Two, most citizens do something illegal involving any of the following: Bribery, selling and buying of banned items, cultism, fake academic certificates, forged official documents, false age declaration, bank fraud, illegal oil deals, diversion of public funds, and inflated contract sums in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Perpetrators include students, civil servants, contractors, lawyers, accountants, auditors, doctors and other professionals, uniformed men and women, and top officials in the public and private sectors. If it doesn’t affect relevant government agencies and top public figures aren’t duped, no one cares to investigate or punish fraudsters. Live and let live is the name of the game here. We tag only the few that are caught. But a high percentage of those caught don’t get to pay the price. They are free, flaunting the proceeds of their criminal acts thereby luring others into crime and criminality.
A few years ago, someone claimed online that he had cars for sale. He wanted me to make advance payment. I went to the manager of the bank which account he sent to me. The manager opened his page. He’s 22 years old and identifies himself as “Applicant” with an untraceable permanent home address. His page showed a long list of sums paid into his bank account. The money was always withdrawn shortly after it was paid. The Bank Manager said if I had paid into the boy’s account, he would have made it impossible for him to withdraw it until he came forward for further verification. No other action was taken on the matter.
I chose the issue of fraudsters because for the second time in five months someone tried to fraudulently engage me. His own tactic is different. He called to say his old man mistakenly sent the pin numbers on phone recharge cards to my phone. He wanted me to send the numbers back. That was five months ago. A few days ago, he called with the same complaint. When I ignored him, he sent an SMS with the supposed pin numbers on two different mobile phone recharge cards. He wanted me to sell the pin, and use the money to travel to see his old man who was to direct me on how to offer some sacrifices for my own good. Some send emails claiming they have business they want me to be involved in. Others send URLs in emails that they want me to click but which would compromise my account. Others use the names of reputable banks as a cover. Millions of Nigerians who are victims of these fraudsters silently nurse their wounds.
Yet, fraudsters use platforms that relevant government agencies could easily monitor and, that way, keep a finger on those involved. They openly use emails and unconcealed phone numbers. But many of them defraud their victims and continue in business unchecked. For me, one reason is that our system doesn’t intelligently gather and utilise traceable information which victims and potential victims of fraudsters can make available. A few years ago, I received some suspicious messages supposedly from my bank. I approached the bank for confirmation. I also went to check how the system worked when a Nigerian brought forward a case of attempted fraud. A bank official confirmed the messages were fraudulent. What could the bank do about it? The official shrugged, explaining that even the mobile phone network providers didn’t help much with the illegal pre-registered SIM cards that were so prevalent. The process was messed up such that fraudsters might still not be traceable, she added.
What if one wants such phone numbers noted down in a data bank that the bank may have for subsequent reference and investigative purposes? I had asked the bank official. I thought when banks and other relevant agencies had such information, whose activity they should monitor and where to check for possible leads in case of future fraudulent activity would be easier. Why? Crime has a DNA. When a person defrauds successfully, he will do it again and again. Keeping a national record of attempts to defraud, to me, makes it easier for investigators to have a list of leads to quickly follow. It’s part of intelligence gathering and it happens in well-organised climes. These were the things I had in mind as I asked the bank official questions about storing the details that I brought. But her what-can-we-do response further confirms to me how weak our crime prevention system is, and how disconnected. Mobile phone network providers mess up the SIM card registration process. Banks and relevant government agencies don’t have a data bank for reports about fraudsters. In the event, Nigerians remain perpetual victims of their fraudulent countrymen.
The NSA, Babagana Monguno, was on TV late October. He sat with army chiefs and, among other things, warned citizens who used drones illegally. But drones, for now, are a second-rate threat. Digital fraud and fraud perpetrated via registered mobile phone SIM cards portend immediate economic and security dangers to the nation. Yet, there’s no tangible commitment on the part of the government to monitor and keep data on professional fraudsters as is the case in other countries. Whatever unit The Nigeria Police may have regarding this isn’t, as usual, working. A few days ago, the NCC promised to ensure no masked phone number is used on its mobile phone platform anymore. It said it would adopt a technology solution that would help track and apprehend culprits, as well as investigate channels used to commit the illegality. It’s good. But how about a unit to which citizens could submit mobile phone numbers/online addresses and URLs through which fraudsters attempt to defraud them? I call on the Consumer Protection Council to take this up.
In other nations, consumer protection bodies lead this cause. For instance, Consumer Rights in the UK (www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights) says if you’re the victim of a mimicking scam online, where fraudsters pretend to be from a genuine company, it’s worth contacting the company that has been mimicked. In Nigeria, I contacted my bank but nothing happened. The UK body further says a victim could report Internet fraud to Action Fraud, UK’s national fraud and crime reporting centre. This provides a central point of contact about fraud and financially motivated Internet crime. After reporting a scam, one gets a police crime reference number and the case will be referred to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau for analysis by the City of London Police. This isn’t happening in Nigeria, a reason fraudsters wax stronger.
Fraudulent messages through phones could also be reported to the Phone-paid Services Authority in the UK. The PSA is the official regulator for content, goods and services, charged to a phone bill. But a call to it regarding fraudulent messages is toll free. I suppose these are measures our nation should also ensure are in place in the face of so many fraudsters hurting law abiding Nigerians. As the UK’s Consumer Rights notes, “Fraud is now at record levels, with more than five million scams costing Brits a mind-boggling £9bn each year.” Based on this, it urged the UK Government to take the lead and ensure companies safeguard citizens from scammers.
It’s not right that fraudsters harass Nigerians and they are left unchecked as my bank did that time. The CPC especially should have an active platform where fraudsters using our digital and mobile phone spaces could be reported and their contact details stored. It should pass on this information to the relevant agency that can identify reported fraudsters as well as monitor them. In order to ensure a unit responsible for this purpose is set up under the relevant government agency, the CPC should continue to speak up until the NSA, the police and the NCC pay attention.
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