The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has listed five fraudulent websites allegedly collecting Nigerians’ data illegally.
NIMC revealed this in a statement issued last Saturday by its Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke, who said the websites engaging in the illegal harvest of data without its authority include:
idfinder.com.ng,
Verify.Ng/sign in,
championtech.com.ng.
trustyonline.com, and
anyverify.com.
This follows the recent alarm by Paradigm initiative that some websites are selling Nigerian’s National Identity Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), International Passport and other data.
Part of the statement reads, “NIMC urges the public to disregard any claims or services these websites offer and should not give their data as they are potentially fraudulent and data provided by the public on such websites are gathered and stored to build the data services they illegally provide.”
The Commission, however, stated that the sensitive data of Nigerians have not been compromised as claimed by Paradigm Initiative, adding that it has taken measures to strengthen the NIN database further.
The statement further reads, “At this moment, the Commission assures the public that the data of Nigerians has not been compromised, and the Commission has not authorized any website or entity to sell or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the report.
“The public should know that the Commission has taken robust measures to safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats- a secure, world-class, full-proof database is in place. The commission’s infrastructure meets the stringent ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard, with annual recertification and strict compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law,” it added.
NIMC advised Nigerians to avoid giving their data to unauthorized and phishing sites as they pose the danger of data harvesting and comprise individual data.
While reaffirming its commitment to upholding ethical standards in data protection in line with federal government directives and data privacy regulations, the Commission noted that its licensed partners or vendors are not authorized to scan or store NIN slips but to verify NINs through approved channels.
NIMC added that it is working closely with security operatives to apprehend elements masquerading as online vendors, and they would face the full wrath of the law.
“NIMC urges the public to remain vigilant against false information and rely on verified sources for accurate updates. The Commission remains committed to providing secure and reliable identity management and upholding the highest level of security for systems and databases, which are critical national assets,” it said.