Data commission warns Nigerians against malicious electronic messages

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The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has warned Nigerians against malicious electronic messages falsely claiming that recipients have violated traffic rules or committed related offences.

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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.

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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.

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The commission urged members of the public “not to click on or follow any instruction contained in a message that cannot be independently verified.”

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The NDPC advised Nigerians to carefully examine the sender’s address, domain name and links before clicking.

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“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.

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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.

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“Do not use the contact details provided in the suspicious message,” it warned.

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The NDPC further advised Nigerians to report suspicious messages and attempts at impersonation to the Commission and the organisation or authority being impersonated.

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On account security, the Commission urged the public to use strong and unique passwords and avoid using the same password across multiple services.

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It also advised people to change their passwords promptly if they suspected that their accounts had been compromised.

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The Commission encouraged Nigerians to enable multi-factor authentication wherever available, saying it provides “an additional layer of protection beyond your password.”

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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.

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“Stop, verify, protect, report,” the Commission said.

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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.

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