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The Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Center (NPF-NCCC) has traced the circulation of a fake notice purporting to be an official communication from OPay Digital Services Limited and falsely announcing the closure of the company’s operations, leading to the arrest of Hafsat Abubakar and the recovery of three mobile phones.
The Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Anietie Iniedu, in a press release, on Thursday in Abuja, said the fake communication was designed to appear as an official corporate notice, bearing the OPay logo, corporate branding, company name and a purported management signature and approval.
He claimed that this falsely suggested that the company was closing its operations, which was likely to mislead the public and cause unnecessary worry among customers.
The spokesperson said: “Following the dissemination of the false notification, NPF-NCCC officers initiated digital forensic analysis and online tracing to establish its source and identify those responsible for its dissemination.
“Investigation traced the alert to user
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect posted the notice on her X handle and subsequently shared it via another X handle, @CUTE_HAFSERH, where she tagged social media influencers and accompanied the post with the caption “REMOVE YOUR MONEY NOW.”
“He said he got the alert from a WhatsApp status. The post reportedly clocked around 572,000 views within minutes of posting.
“Three Apple mobile phones were recovered from the suspect as exhibits. Investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the creation and dissemination of the false notification and to identify any other individuals who may have been involved.”
CSP Anietie assured that “the suspect, together with any other person found guilty, will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.”
He said: “The Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commends the operatives of the NPF-NCCC for their efforts in tracing the online publication and effecting the arrest of the suspect.
“It reiterates the commitment of the Nigerian Police Force to combat cybercrime, digital fraud, impersonation and the circulation of false information through digital platforms.”
