The Nigerian Army has alerted the public to the activities of fraudsters operating fake social media accounts in the names of senior military officers, especially on Facebook.
In a statement posted on its official X handle on Sunday, the Army disclosed that scammers had opened fake accounts impersonating the Deputy Chief of Standards and Evaluation (Army), Major General Raymond Utsaha, while using the photograph of the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Bamidele Alabi.
According to the military, the fraudulent accounts were deliberately created to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians and swindle them through fake claims and unauthorised online interactions.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to categorically state that the said Facebook accounts are fake and were created with malicious intent to defraud individuals through false representations and unauthorised online engagements,” the statement read.
The Army cautioned Nigerians against responding to any messages, friend requests, financial demands or unofficial dealings linked to the fake accounts.
It also stressed that senior officers of the Nigerian Army do not use personal social media accounts or unofficial online platforms to carry out official duties, award contracts, seek financial help or discuss sensitive matters.
“The general public is urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious accounts or activities to the appropriate security agencies,” the statement added.
The Army further assured that it would continue tracking and taking action against persons or groups involved in cyber impersonation and other fraudulent online activities.