The Delta State Police Command has advised Nigerians to always verify the identities of persons requesting money on WhatsApp to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.

In a video made available to journalists in the state on Tuesday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police (SP) Bright Edafe, warned that fraudsters now hack WhatsApp accounts and use them to fleece unsuspecting contacts.

He urged the public to prioritise verification before transferring money to anyone.

Edafe said, “Call anyone asking you for money on WhatsApp to verify their identity. That is the only way you can be sure you are not chatting with a hacker.”

He explained that hackers often begin conversations with familiar greetings to build trust.

According to him, victims typically receive messages such as: “Good morning, how was your night? Please, I need your assistance with something. I am trying to send someone money, but it’s not going through. Can you please help me send it to the person’s account? I will send it back to you once my network comes back.”

He noted that after sending such messages, the fraudsters provide account details that do not belong to the supposed sender.

“Sometimes, when you question them or insist that they send their own account details, they will insult you and delete the messages,” he added.

SP Edafe cautioned Nigerians not to send money to any account that does not bear the name of the person they believe they are chatting with.

The Delta Police spokesman advised, “Please, if anybody sends you an account number that doesn’t bear their name, don’t send money. Even if it is an Opay, Palmpay, or Moniepoint account bearing their name, don’t send it. You can only trust it if it is a conventional bank account.”

He stressed that a direct phone call remains the most reliable way to confirm whether a friend, colleague, or family member is truly behind a WhatsApp chat.

“Call them directly to be sure the person chatting with you is still in possession of their SIM card,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to take the warnings seriously and to enable the two-step verification process to safeguard their WhatsApp accounts and finances from fraudsters exploiting social media vulnerabilities. (The Nation)

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