The European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS has alerted the public to a fraudulent compensation scheme falsely claiming to be an EU-backed initiative to recover funds allegedly trapped in banks across West Africa.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by the Press and Information Officer, Modestus Chukwulaka, the Delegation said a fake document circulating online falsely claimed to have originated from the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, Ms. Thérèse Blanchet, announcing a purported European Union–World Bank recovery programme for victims of alleged fraudulent fund transfers in Africa.
According to the fake document, citizens of Europe and other countries whose legitimately transferred funds were allegedly trapped in banks and financial institutions in West Africa would be eligible for compensation. It also falsely claimed that the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS had been mandated to oversee the compensation process and directed prospective claimants to contact him.
However, the EU dismissed the claims, describing the document as a complete fabrication.
“This document in its entirety is a scam. The information and claims contained therein are false. The European Union is neither aware of any such bogus programme nor part of it,” the Delegation stated.
The Delegation also clarified that the email addresses and telephone number contained in the fraudulent document, purportedly belonging to Ms. Blanchet and EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, are fake and operated by scammers.
It urged members of the public not to respond to the document or share personal or financial information with individuals behind the scheme.
The EU further advised the public to verify all information relating to its activities through its official website and verified social media platforms, stressing that these remain its only recognised channels of communication.
The Delegation warned that fraudsters frequently exploit the names of reputable international organisations to deceive unsuspecting members of the public and urged Nigerians and other residents to remain vigilant against such scams.