The National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF-NCCC) has called on the public to be wary of a misleading information being circulated in the social media about 5G network services.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the information was purportedly claimed to emanate from the NPF-NCCC, informing the public of the commencement and warning of possible breaches in the migration protocols to the 5G network services.
Adejobi said that the information was a ploy by subversive elements to prepare the ground for likely phishing and cyber-attacks.
He said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the Director in charge of the NPF-NCCC, Mr Henry Uche, had dissociated the centre from the message.
Uche said the message was not from NPF-NCCC and urged the public to be wary of it, adding that it was likely the handiwork of cyber criminals.
The statement reads: “The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) hereby warns members of the public and strategic stakeholders in national security matters to be wary of a suspected ploy by subversive elements to prepare the ground for likely phishing and cyber-attacks through the deliberate publication and dissemination of a WhatsApp message, currently in circulation, purportedly from the Cybercrime Department of the Nigeria Police Force informing the general public of the commencement and warning of possible breaches in the migration protocols to the 5G network services.
“The Director in charge of the NPF-NCCC, DCP Uche Ifeanyi Henry, has noted that the message did not emanate from the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and therefore warns the general public to be wary as it is likely the handiwork of cyber criminals setting the grounds to fleece innocent and unsuspecting members of the public of their monies or to steal their identities.
“The general public is hereby advised to discountenance the broadcast message and cease sharing such, as it is deceptive and misleading. Genuine guidelines on the roll-out and migration to the 5G network will be available in due time on authorized websites and verified social media handles of the NPF-NCCC, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Telecom Companies, and other communication service providers.”