Leadnaija
The Nigerian Army has warned the public against the activities of fraudsters impersonating the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, on various social media platforms to defraud unsuspecting individuals....TAP HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY..>>
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the Director of Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the impostors have been using the official portrait of the COAS as their profile pictures to deceive the public.
According to him, the criminals have devised a new strategy of organizing virtual meetings through platforms such as Zoom, WhatsApp, and Facebook.
“They request that participants share specific numbers displayed on their screens during these meetings, which the impostors then use to engage with individuals and subsequently defraud them,” Nwachukwu said.
Identified Fraudulent Phone Numbers
The Nigerian Army has identified the following phone numbers as being frequently used by the impostors:
•09033949238
•09075323836
•09074272745
•08169257155
•08064561495
•08054138812
•09161521558
•09026515718
•09020898622
•08131333263
•09077188584
•08084529752
•08147409236
•09136497898
•09024627712
•07010119398
•09138997224
•09061549129
•08163593764
•07035272009
•09018150412
•08093524443
•08088120581.>Read full details
The army urged members of the public to report any interactions with these phone numbers or similar suspicious activities through its toll-free call centre at 193 for proper investigation and necessary action.
Nwachukwu emphasized that the Nigerian Army, like other branches of the Armed Forces, has established and recognized communication channels for both personnel and the public.
He urged citizens to be vigilant and refrain from engaging in any virtual meetings or social media interactions where the COAS’ official image is used as a display picture.
“The Nigerian Army advises the public to be cautious and avoid being lured into online engagements falsely linked to the military hierarchy,” he said. However, Read full statement
He assured that the army is taking necessary steps to track down the perpetrators and prevent further fraudulent activities.
