Access Bank Plc has unveiled the ‘Spot the Scam’ campaign, a financial crimes awareness initiative aimed at equipping young people to recognize manipulation, avoid predicate offences and vices such as drug trafficking and ‘yahoo yahoo’, question suspicious requests, and know when to seek help.
The campaign seeks to nip financial crimes in the bud at the grassroots, so that teenagers do not end up as victims or perpetrators of financial crimes.
The initiative is designed to teach young people to identify red flags and develop safe digital and financial habits as they increasingly use social media, smartphones and online platforms. It also seeks to address growing concerns over the sophistication of digital fraud and the vulnerability of young people to scams conducted through social media and digital messaging platforms.
Scammers go where young people are and use things that feel exciting, urgent or rewarding. Common tactics include fake giveaways, free data or airtime, gaming rewards, fake job or scholarship offers, celebrity impersonation, account verification messages, investment opportunities and “you’ve won” messages. They may also use popular trends, influencers or familiar brands to make the scam feel believable.
Spot The Scam is a two-pronged programme focused on nationwide education and a debate competition in Lagos State. From now until the end of December 2026, students from various parts of Nigeria will be trained extensively, while a debate competition will provide students with a platform to showcase all they have learned.
The debate competition starts with the preliminary phase through to the grand finale in December 2026 and is open to both public and private schools located in Lagos State. Registration is free via the Spot the Scam platform, with schools required to submit their debate entry videos by October 16, 2026.
Speaking at the launch in Lagos, the Chief Conduct and Compliance Officer, Access Bank Plc, Solomon Abiakalam, said the initiative was informed by rising cases of financial crimes involving young Nigerians.
Recounting an incident on December 10, 2024, in Victoria Island where the EFCC arrested 792 young people in a building operating as a tech business, Abiakalam said the suspects were allegedly involved in romance scams, hacking and money laundering, and targeting victims overseas.
He described such activities as predicate offences that fuel money laundering and stressed that while financial crimes are non-violent, their impact can be more devastating than violent crimes.
Abiakalam said beyond regulatory compliance, Access Bank has implemented controls to prevent the flow of crime proceeds through its systems and is now taking the fight against Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing upstream by educating potential victims and perpetrators.
“If every young person in this programme knows how to protect themselves from financial crime, not to be victims or perpetrators, the future of our country will be bright,” he said.
He added that the bank wants to raise young people who remain “unbowed,” “unbent”, and “unbroken” in the face of financial crime pressures.
The maiden edition of the campaign targets children from age 12 to 16 to equip them with financial education to identify scams early.
Head, Regulatory and Financial Crime Compliance at Access Bank, Inyang Etim, said tackling financial crimes requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving schools, parents, banks, telecom companies and government.
She said parents have a critical role in creating a safe space for children to report suspicious experiences without shame.
Head, SME Banking, Access Bank, Abiodun Olubitan, said fraudsters often lure children through games, small rewards, recharge cards and fake celebrity profiles on social media.
She noted that just as the bank conducts regular Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Counter Proliferation Financing (CPF) training for its staff, similar education must be extended to children at the grassroots.
Representative of the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Ronke Matuluko, said the Ministry’s policy ensures no child is left behind, with guidance counsellors available in schools to advise students on how to avoid scams.
The conversation was concluded with a simple but important message: Pause before you trust.
If a message makes you excited, scared or pressured to act immediately, STOP. CHECK. THINK. TELL. Those few seconds could protect you from a scam.
For more information on how to REGISTER and PARTICIPATE in the campaign, kindly click on https://accessspotthescam.com
