SCAM ALERT

How to Report Online Fraud in Nigeria

Who to contact, in what order, and what evidence to keep when you have been scammed online.

Step by step

1. Secure your money firstIf any bank account, card or transfer is involved, call your bank's official line immediately to freeze or restrict the account and dispute the transaction. Ask for a formal complaint and a tracking or reference number.
2. Gather your evidenceCollect everything: screenshots of chats and web pages, SMS and email alerts, transaction references, the fraudster's phone numbers, account numbers and website addresses, plus the dates and amounts involved.
3. Report to the EFCCFor financial fraud, report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission using the Eagle Eye app (available on Google Play and the App Store) or by email to [email protected]. The app allows anonymous reporting.
4. Report to the Police cybercrime centreFile a cybercrime report with the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre through its e-reporting portal at nccc.npf.gov.ng, covering offences such as phishing, hacking, identity theft and online scams.
5. Notify the relevant regulatorFor phone or SIM-related fraud you can raise it with the NCC (consumer helpline 622); for identity misuse involving your NIN, contact NIMC through nimc.gov.ng.
6. Escalate if the bank stallsIf 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. Stay alert afterwardsMonitor your accounts, keep alerts on, and ignore any "recovery agent" who asks for an upfront fee to get your money back, that is a second scam.

Report in the right order

When you have been defrauded online, the order of your actions matters. Money can be moved on quickly, so your first call should be to your bank to freeze the account and open a formal dispute. Only after you have contained the financial risk should you focus on the wider reports to the EFCC and the Police. Doing it in this order gives you the best chance of stopping or recovering funds.

Who handles what

Nigeria has several bodies, and each has a role. Your bank is your first responder for anything touching your account, and it must give you a tracking number for your complaint. The EFCC investigates financial and economic crimes and takes reports through its Eagle Eye app and official email. The Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre handles cyber offences such as phishing, hacking and identity theft through its e-reporting portal. Where a phone or SIM is involved, the NCC is the telecoms regulator, and NIMC covers misuse of your NIN. Behind the banks, the CBN sets consumer-protection rules and the NFIU analyses suspicious financial activity, so escalation paths exist when a bank does not act.

Evidence makes your report work

A report is only as strong as the evidence behind it. Before you file, save screenshots of every chat, page and payment, keep your SMS and email alerts, and note transaction references, account numbers, phone numbers, website addresses, dates and amounts. Organised evidence helps investigators act and helps your bank process a dispute. If your identity numbers were exposed in the process, also work through what to do if your BVN or NIN is compromised, and if a phone was lost or stolen, see how to block your account if your phone is stolen.

After you report

Keep monitoring your accounts and follow up on your complaint using the tracking number. If the bank does not resolve a disputed transaction within about two weeks, escalate to the CBN Consumer Protection Department. Be on guard for follow-up fraud: scammers often return pretending to be investigators or “recovery agents” who can return your money for a fee. Understanding the tricks in common NIN and BVN scams helps you recognise these second attempts and avoid losing more.

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.