The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has warned Nigerians against malicious electronic messages falsely claiming that recipients have violated traffic rules or committed related offences.
The Commission said the messages were designed to create fear and urgency, prompting unsuspecting members of the public to click on links, disclose personal information or follow harmful instructions.
In an advisory signed by the Head of the Media Unit, the NDPC, Itunu Dosekun, and posted on its X handle on Friday, said such malicious communications were previously sent largely through phishing emails but could now be transmitted through various electronic channels.
The commission urged members of the public “not to click on or follow any instruction contained in a message that cannot be independently verified.”
The NDPC advised Nigerians to carefully examine the sender’s address, domain name and links before clicking.
“Be absolutely sure,” the Commission said, warning that if recipients were not certain that a message belonged to “a bona fide authority or organisation,” they should not click on or follow its instructions.
The Commission also urged members of the public to independently verify suspicious messages by contacting the organisation or authority named in the communication through a known and trusted telephone number, website or email address.
“Do not use the contact details provided in the suspicious message,” it warned.
The NDPC further advised Nigerians to report suspicious messages and attempts at impersonation to the Commission and the organisation or authority being impersonated.
On account security, the Commission urged the public to use strong and unique passwords and avoid using the same password across multiple services.
It also advised people to change their passwords promptly if they suspected that their accounts had been compromised.
The Commission encouraged Nigerians to enable multi-factor authentication wherever available, saying it provides “an additional layer of protection beyond your password.”
The NDPC urged the public not to allow fear, urgency or the appearance of official authority to pressure them into clicking links or disclosing personal information.
“Stop, verify, protect, report,” the Commission said.
It added: “If you cannot independently verify a message, do not act on it,” stressing that the protection of personal data was a shared responsibility.
