Never Celebrate what you didn't work for.

Source: Unknown

When you receive a credit alert, how do you feel? Sudden happiness, of course.

That's how I nearly felt this morning as I was driving to a client office until I realised the alert wasn't coming from my bank.

How? Well, sit and hear what happened.

Someone whom I will describe as a new recruit in internet fraud sent a text to me containing a message that shows I have received N45,000 Covid-19 relief from NDDC.

Just take a look at the message which came from Mobile No: 08140287244

"ACCT:******** CR:N45,000.00 DESC:COVID19,181002 20098752104519LANG DT:03/AUG/20 BAL:#45,000 FOR CREDIT CALL. 09056214204 COURTESY NCDC. Congratulations!!!"

You may be wondering how the fraudster intend to achieve his or her purpose here. I will tell you.

✓ When someone, who did not know what the fraudster is up to, receives this kind of text message, he'll immediately check his bank account.

✓ On seeing the money is not credited to his account, he will immediately call the mobile numbers disclosed in the text message.

✓ The fraudsters will now pick and apologise for his non reception of the money. They will do as if they want to confirm his account details and will ask him to call his Account and ATM details to them.

✓ Once they successfully obtain the customer's ATM details, the fraudsters will withdraw all the balance in the customer's account through internet.

Note this: Fraudster don't need to get your physical ATM Card before they can have access to your bank account.

Once they get your:

• Primary Account Number (PAN) whiyis that 16-digit numbers at the front of your card,
• Password,
• Card Expiry Date, and
• the three numbers written at the back of your ATM card, they can withdraw from your bank account via Internet!

Don't expect an alert when you've not worked. Alerts don't fall from heaven!