The Nigerian Army has raised alarm over the increasing number of impostors posing as Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), on various social media platforms.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, disclosed that the fraudsters are using the COAS’s official portrait as their profile picture to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
“This is not the first time impostors have attempted to impersonate the COAS on social media.
“However, a new tactic has emerged where these criminals set up virtual meetings on Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook, and other platforms, requesting participants to share numbers displayed on their screens. They then use these numbers to contact individuals privately and defraud them”, the statement read.
The Army has identified multiple phone numbers frequently used by the scammers and urges the public to remain vigilant.
The numbers identified by the Army are 09033949238, 09075323836., 09074272745, 08169257155., 08064561495, 08054138812, 09161521558, 09026515718, 09020898622, 08131333263, 09077188584 and 08084529752.
Others are 08147409236, 09136497898, 09024627712, 07010119398, 09138997224, 09061549129, 08163593764, 07035272009, 09018150412, 08093524443 and 08088120581.
Concerned citizens are advised to report any suspicious activities to the Nigerian Army’s toll-free call centre 193.
Emphasizing the importance of caution, the Army reiterated that it has official channels of communication known to its personnel and warned against engaging in unsolicited online meetings linked to the COAS’s image.
Nigerians are encouraged to rely on established protocols and procedures when engaging with military authorities and to stay alert to potential scams.
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