The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a stern warning to Nigerians against the activities of unauthorized websites that are allegedly harvesting people's personal data.
In a statement signed by Kayode Adegoke, the head of corporate communications at NIMC, the commission named specific websites such as idfinder.com.ng, Verify.ng, championtech.com.ng, trustyonline.com, and anyverify.com as culprits in this data harvesting scheme.
The warning comes on the heels of a report by Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise, which raised the alarm over the discovery of the sale of national identification numbers (NINs), bank verification numbers (BVNs), and other personal data of Nigerians on a website for as low as N100.
According to the organization, a website known as 'AnyVerify.com.ng' was found to be involved in the commercial distribution of sensitive personal and financial data of Nigerian citizens.
In response, NIMC has denied the exposure of Nigerians' sensitive data, stating that the commission's data is secure and protected by robust measures that meet the stringent ISO 27001:2013 information security management system standard.
The commission also urged the public to be wary of any claims or services offered by these unauthorized websites, as they are potentially fraudulent and the data provided may be used to build illegal data services.
NIMC advised Nigerians to avoid giving their data to unauthorized and phishing sites, and to rely only on licensed partners or approved channels for verification of their NIN slips.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to upholding ethical standards in data protection and is currently working with security operatives to apprehend elements masquerading as online vendors, with the aim of bringing them to justice.