The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday denied offering N1 million to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of cybercrime suspects, widely referred to as ‘Yahoo Yahoo Boys’.
“This clarification became necessary following phone calls by citizens wanting to cash in on notices in the social media by fraudsters promising a reward of one million naira (N1, 000,000) for friends, family and relatives of Yahoo Boys who hand them over to the EFCC,” the commission said in a statement.
Wilson Uwujaren, the commission’s spokesperson, said in the statement, that the false promotional post on social media bear hashtags like, #EFCC and #beagoodcitizen.
He quoted the post as reading, “if you have a Yahoo Yahoo boy as Family, Friend or Relative, Kindly hand them over to us, and get a Massive reward of 1million naira.”
Mr Uwujaren said the claim has been widely circulated on social media platforms.
The commission is taking steps to bring the promoters of the hashtags to justice, Mr Uwujaren said, but added that it “will not be responsible for anyone who falls for this obvious scam.”
He also clarified that the arrest of cybercrime suspects is not covered by the Federal Government’s whistleblower policy which, according to him, “is applicable only to public sector corruption”.
He added that the commission welcomes information that could lead to the arrest of cybercrime suspects, but “has no policy of financial reward for such informants.”
The viral fraudulent notice is likely leveraging on the heightened clampdown of the EFCC on cybercrime suspects.
Tens of these suspects are arrested in extensive operations by the operatives of the anti-graft agencies in different parts of the country virtually everyday.
Read full statement
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission wishes to inform the general public that it has not issued any notice in the social media promising financial reward for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of a Yahoo Boy.
This clarification became necessary following phone calls by citizens wanting to cash in on notices in the social media by fraudsters promising a reward of One Million Naira (N1, 000,000) for friends, family and relatives of yahoo boys who hand them over to the EFCC.
The promo with #Efcc and #beagoodcitizen states, “If you have a Yahoo Yahoo boy as Family, Friend or Relative, Kindly hand them over to us, and get a Massive reward of 1million naira.”
The commission wishes to state that this message is alien to the EFCC, and members of the public are enjoined to disregard them.
Promoters of the hashtags are currently under surveillance and every effort will be made to bring them to justice.
While the commission welcomes information that could lead to the arrest of cybercrime suspects, it has no policy of financial reward for such informants. The fight against corruption and other forms of economic crime is a patriotic duty and Nigerians are encouraged to embrace it with altruism.
The whistle blower policy of the Federal Government which the commission is among the agencies saddled with its implementation, is applicable only to public sector corruption.
The public is warned that, the commission will not be responsible for anyone who falls for this obvious scam.
