Guide to Securing FG’s N50,000 Grant Amid Scam Threat

Omolabake Fasogbon 

The federal government’s announcement of a N50,000 cash relief package for selected poor and vulnerable households has, expectedly, opened the door for scam merchants, despite the safeguards put in place.

Indeed, the gesture has left many exposed, given that it targets desperate and vulnerable Nigerians who may not be well-informed, particularly amid rising poverty that drives people towards freebies.

Less than a week after the announcement and the unveiling of the access route, a flurry of sham platforms emerged, closely mimicking the original channels to deceive unsuspecting citizens. Unfortunately, many Nigerians have fallen victim, losing their hard-earned savings and, in some cases, far more than the N50,000 on offer. The situation has become so concerning that even some eligible citizens are becoming sceptical about claiming the fund for fear of being scammed.

Making matters easier for fraudsters is the electronic fund collection and eligibility confirmation process through designated codes. While designed to make access seamless for beneficiaries, these digital channels have become leverage points for scammers, who lure victims with fake registration portals, fabricated beneficiary testimonials, requests for banking and personal details, as well as WhatsApp sharing and referral traps.

Accounts from victims so far reveal this exact pattern. More importantly, they show that even the most sophisticated people can be trapped, underscoring the need to scrutinise the details of the offer. This is worth noting both for deserving beneficiaries who, out of extreme caution, might ignore the genuine scheme and miss out, as well as those actively trying to claim the grant to avoid being defrauded.

Since the government announced the gesture as a monthly payout for an unspecified duration, the accumulated N50,000 payments, for as long as the scheme lasts, could bridge a significant expenditure gap in targeted households. At the same time, falling prey to scams while trying to access the fund can be disastrous.

This is evident in the case of a trending unidentified woman who suffered repeated withdrawals from her account after clicking on a WhatsApp link purportedly meant for claiming the grant. She has already lost more than the N50,000 on offer.

According to the victim in a video shared on X, she had initially ignored repeated WhatsApp messages containing a link to the supposed Federal Government cash grant until a friend urged her to try it, claiming to know someone who had been paid.

After clicking on the link, the site instructed her to share the message with more people before requesting her bank account number. Once she supplied it, repeated debits followed.

“I put my account number, dey just dey debit me, dey just dey debit me,” she recounted.

She added that her ordeal worsened when she was redirected to join a Telegram bot, which resulted in her Telegram account being hacked.

This experience should serve as a lesson to Nigerians to remain circumspect and avoid becoming bigger victims in their quest to access the grant.

The Federal Government has reiterated that only qualified Nigerians, identified through information from the National Social Register and verified national identity records, will be contacted, stressing that citizens do not need to apply or pay to be considered.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, provided further clarification, explaining that only qualified beneficiaries will receive text message notifications from approved providers, including ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.

He added that members of the public can confirm their eligibility through the providers’ designated USSD channels. For instance, OPay users can check via 95520#.

Doro also noted that the payment process involves four steps, beginning with an SMS notification to selected beneficiaries.

“Beneficiaries then reply ‘YES’ to confirm their participation, as no payment will be made without their consent. Once confirmed, a mobile wallet linked to their phone numbers and National Identification Numbers (NINs) will be created and credited with the ₦50,000 grant. They can then withdraw through POS agents or banks, or spend directly from the wallet,” the minister explained.

To prevent unscrupulous elements from taking over the process, Doro warned against messages from unauthorised senders, urging citizens to contact the programme’s helpline whenever they have doubts about a notification.