By TOLU AIYEGBUSI

A cybersecurity expert has warned Nigerians against falling victim to viral messages claiming that celebrities or the Federal Government were offering free data or airtime.

Dr. Chidi Okereke, a cybersecurity analyst based in Abuja, gave the warning in an interview the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

Okereke said scammers often monitored trending events, including election victories, celebrity celebrations and government palliatives, to create and circulate fraudulent weblinks.

He said the links were phishing scams designed to steal personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims.

“Every time there is big news like an election victory, a celebrity wedding or a government palliative, scammers are already working on clickbait,” he said.

He said scammers circulated the links across social media platforms, promising free airtime or data while urging recipients to share them with other groups.

According to Okereke, elections, celebrity news and government announcements often trigger excitement, causing people to lower their cybersecurity guards.

“That is when we see the highest number of fake promo links,” he said.

He said scammers exploited the credibility of popular personalities by attacking trusted names to fake offers, knowing that people often shared such messages before verifying them.

Okereke said fraudulent websites were also designed to resemble the portals of telecommunications giants such as MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile.

“It looks exciting; it uses a trusted name and spreads fast on WhatsApp groups. But behind those links is not free data. It is a trap,” he said.

He said the scams were designed to steal phone numbers, One-Time Passwords (OTPs), bank details and, sometimes, access to victims’ social media accounts.

The cybersecurity analyst said scammers deliberately combined emotion and urgency to discourage users from critically examining suspicious offers.

He said this was intentional, as scammers knew Nigerians were quick to share good news, especially when it involved popular singers or actors and major political events.

Okereke said fake websites often copied the logos of telecommunications companies and asked users to click links to claim supposed rewards.

“The moment you enter your number or BVN on those sites, your information is sold or used to defraud you.

“It is important for people to slow down when they see this kind of messages. Real promotions from big companies and celebrities will never come only through random Whatsapp forwards,’’ he said.

Okereke said genuine promotions would normally be announced through verified social media accounts, official company websites, radio or television.

He advised users to check the domain name carefully, warning that legitimate telecoms promotions should be accessed through official company platforms.

“If the link does not match the official domain, close it immediately,” he said.

The security expert warned users against websites requesting ATM card details, BVN or OTPs, saying such platforms were likely attempting to defraud them.

Okereke advised Nigerians to verify suspicious claims by independently searching for the information, checking celebrities’ verified social media accounts and network provider’s official mobile application for genuine promotions.

“When you see ‘hurry’, ‘limited time’, ‘share with other groups’ attached to a political or celebrity link you have to be careful because that is your signal to pause.

“You should think first, verify second and click last to avoid losing money and personal information to scammers,” he said. (NAN)