The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has identified five websites allegedly involved in fraudulently harvesting Nigerians’ data.
This announcement follows a warning from Paradigm Initiative regarding the sale of Nigerians’ National Identification Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), International Passport, and other sensitive information.
In a statement released on Saturday by Kayode Adegoke, the Head of Corporate Communications, NIMC identified the websites as:
– idfinder.com.ng
– Verify.Ng/sign in
– championtech.com.ng
– trustyonline.com
– anyverify.com
“NIMC urges the public to disregard any claims or services these websites offer and should not give their data as they are potentially fraudulent and data provided by the public on such websites are gathered and stored to build the data services they illegally provide,” the statement read.
The Commission reassured the public that Nigerians’ sensitive data has not been compromised, countering the claims made by Paradigm Initiative.
It emphasised that NIMC has implemented measures to further secure the NIN database.
“At this moment, the Commission assures the public that the data of Nigerians has not been compromised, and the Commission has not authorised any website or entity to sell or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the report.
“The public should know that the Commission has taken robust measures to safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats—a secure, world-class, full-proof database is in place.
“The commission’s infrastructure meets the stringent ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard, with annual recertification and strict compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law,” the statement continued.
NIMC advised Nigerians to avoid providing their data to unauthorised and phishing websites, which pose significant risks of data harvesting and compromise.
Reaffirming its commitment to data protection, NIMC noted that its licenced partners or vendors are not authorised to scan or store NIN slips but are only permitted to verify NINs through approved channels.
The Commission also mentioned that it is collaborating with security agencies to apprehend individuals posing as online vendors and that these individuals will face legal consequences.
“NIMC urges the public to remain vigilant against false information and rely on verified sources for accurate updates.
“The Commission remains committed to providing secure and reliable identity management and upholding the highest level of security for systems and databases, which are critical national assets,” the statement concluded.
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