With the country currently facing the menace of fraudsters, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has called on the public to beware of fraudulent loan offers and investment schemes.
Osita Nwanisobi, the acting Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, said this in a statement entitled ‘Beware of fraudulent loan offers, investment schemes.’
The apex bank said its attention had been drawn to fraudulent messages and videos on social media requesting unsuspecting loans seekers and owners of small-scale businesses to apply for loans or investment schemes purportedly facilitated by the bank.
While noting that it had several development finance intervention programmes from which different categories of businesses had benefited and are still benefiting, Nwanisobi stated the bank did not do so through direct interaction with prospective applicants.
He said:
For the avoidance of doubt, there are clearly spelt out procedures for accessing CBN intervention funds, which are disbursed through Participating Finance Institutions, such as Deposit Money Banks, Development Finance Institutions and Microfinance Banks.
The bank also does not facilitate investment schemes.
Nwanisobi, however, advised the public, particularly the youth and owners of SMEs, to disregard any video or text message proposing investment schemes or charging them fees on the pretext that their organisations were endorsed by the CBN and therefore, would guarantee easy access to CBN loans.
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He added:
These videos and messages are fraudulent and anyone who enters into correspondence with those behind them does so at his or her own risks.
Meanwhile, the statement explained that the CBN had neither appointed nor accredited any organisation to serve as agent on its behalf for the purpose of investment or applying for intervention loans.
In the meantime, the apex bank advised prospective applicants to approach their respective banks, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank or the CBN branch nearest to them for clarification on the procedure for accessing any of the CBN related facility.
