NITDA Raises Alarm over Fraudulent ‘CPM’ Platform Extorting Victims Using Agency’s Name
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has raised the alarm over a fraudulent online marketing and earning platform known as “CPM,” which is currently extorting scammed subscribers under the false pretense of collaborating with the government agency.
The platform operators, after allegedly freezing or stealing investments from users, claimed their systems were “hacked” and are now demanding additional payments from desperate subscribers to “recover” their lost funds, using NITDA’s name as a regulatory shield.
In an official public disclaimer released on Monday and signed by Mrs. Hadiza Umar, director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department, NITDA categorically dissociated itself from the scheme, labeling the operation a dangerous social engineering trap.
After the platform crashed or restricted withdrawals, the administrators designed a secondary extortion scheme.
They informed panicked subscribers that NITDA had stepped in to help resolve the technical glitch and hack, but mandated that users must pay extra fees to facilitate the emergency recovery process.
Disowning the claims, the regulatory body maintained that it has no hand in the operations of the platform, nor does it charge citizens for security interventions.
“NITDA wishes to categorically state that these claims are false and misleading,” the statement read. “As a government agency and Nigeria’s Information Technology regulator, NITDA does not request or collect money from citizens to provide incident response support, recover funds, or assist private entities in resolving cybersecurity incidents.”
Members of the public are therefore strongly advised to exercise caution and avoid making any additional payments to any individual, group, or platform claiming that such payments are required by or connected to NITDA.
The agency warned that the entire incident follows a classic double-extortion pattern often deployed by internet fraudsters to further exploit vulnerable victims who are already desperate to recoup their trapped investments.
To prevent further financial damage to unsuspecting Nigerians, NITDA urged the public to immediately cease all financial engagements with the platform’s handlers. The agency outlined several critical cybersecurity safety measures, advising citizens to:
“Exercise extreme caution when dealing with high-yield online investment and trading applications,” it said.
“Completely avoid sending additional funds or ‘activation fees’ in an attempt to recover previous losses.
“Verify any claims of government involvement directly through verified official channels rather than third-party statements.
“Refrain from sharing sensitive personal identifier numbers, bank details, or financial information with unverified entities.
“Immediately report suspicious cyber-related operations and fraudulent financial schemes to law enforcement authorities.”
Mrs. Umar reassured that NITDA remains heavily committed to promoting cybersecurity awareness across the country and will continue to track and expose cyber-enabled fraud and deceptive online cartels targeting Nigerian citizens.