The Yobe Police Command has cautioned residents of the state to be wary of phantom virtual meetings aimed at defrauding them.

DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the command’s spokesman, in a statement in Damaturu on Tuesday, said a syndicate was behind the meeting used to lure unsuspecting members of the public into defrauding them.

“The hackers create fake online meetings and send a link to their victims,” said Mr Abdulkarim. “Once you click on the link, your bank accounts and other security information become compromised.”

The spokesman said the syndicate sometimes posed as commercial bank officials on a duty to upgrade customers’ accounts.

“They will send a one-time password (OTP) code to your social media handle or phone and ask you to send back the OTP code to ‘register’ or ‘verify’ your account.

“Anyone who does this is giving the fraudsters the opportunity to withdraw money from his accounts within minutes,” he said, urging people to beware of cyber criminals and avoid disclosing their bank details to unauthorised persons.

He advised bank customers to verify such requests through phone calls or visits to the bank or financial institutions.

“Never send OTP codes or sensitive information to unverified sources. Be cautious of online meetings or account updates.

“Regularly monitor your accounts and report suspicious activity,” he said.

According to him, the state Commissioner of Police, Garba Ahmed, has warned the criminals to desist from the act or face severe penalties.

(NAN)