SCAM ALERT

What to Do If Your BVN or NIN Is Compromised

A calm, fast checklist for the moment you realise your identity numbers or bank access may be exposed.

Step by step

1. Freeze the account immediatelyCall your bank's official line (the number on your card or on the bank's website) and ask them to place a restriction or freeze on the affected account and cards. If your phone or SIM is involved, ask about a block, and see how to block your account if your phone is stolen.
2. Change your passwords and codesUpdate your internet-banking and mobile-app passwords, change your transaction PIN, and reset security questions. Do this from a device you trust, and log out all other sessions or devices where possible.
3. Get it in writingFor any unauthorised transaction, lodge a formal complaint at your bank and insist on a tracking or reference number. Under CBN rules your bank must acknowledge the complaint; keep this number safe.
4. Check what is linkedReview the accounts and SIMs tied to your identity. You can confirm your BVN with *565*0# and review linked accounts, and confirm your NIN with *346#, all from your own registered line.
5. Report to the authoritiesFile a report with the EFCC (via the Eagle Eye app or [email protected]) and the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre at nccc.npf.gov.ng. Provide dates, amounts, screenshots and any numbers involved.
6. Escalate if unresolvedIf your bank does not resolve a disputed transaction within about two weeks, escalate to the CBN Consumer Protection Department at [email protected], quoting your tracking number.
7. Watch and rebuildMonitor statements and alerts closely for weeks afterwards, keep transaction alerts on, and be alert for follow-up scams pretending to "help" you recover money.

First, stay calm and move fast

Discovering that your BVN, NIN or banking details may be exposed is frightening, but the outcome depends far more on how quickly you act than on how the leak happened. The priority is to cut off access before anyone can move money or open accounts in your name. Everything else, reports, disputes, investigations, comes after you have contained the immediate risk.

Understand the difference between BVN and NIN

Your BVN sits with the banking system through NIBSS, while your NIN sits with NIMC. That matters for who you contact. For anything touching your money, your bank is the front door, and NIBSS supports the banks behind the scenes. For identity misuse of your NIN, NIMC is the right official body. You can confirm your own details safely and see what is attached to them: our guides on how to check your BVN and how to check the accounts linked to your BVN show the self-service codes, and how to check your NIN covers the NIMC side.

Lock down access

Freezing the account is the single most important step, so make that call to your bank before anything else. If your phone or SIM is part of the problem, act on it too, because a stolen or swapped SIM can defeat OTP security; see how to block your account if your phone is stolen. Then change passwords, PINs and security questions from a device you trust.

Report, dispute and follow up

Report the fraud to the EFCC and the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre, and lodge a formal complaint with your bank so you receive a tracking number. Under the CBN framework, banks must acknowledge complaints, and unresolved disputes can be escalated to the CBN Consumer Protection Department. Keep every screenshot and reference. Finally, stay alert: fraudsters often return posing as “recovery agents” or bank staff “helping” with your case, so treat any such follow-up with suspicion.

SabiGuide is an independent guide and is not affiliated with any government agency. Fees, links and steps can change — always confirm on the official portal before you act. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.