The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a warning to Nigerians regarding unauthorized websites collecting personal data.
This alert was communicated through a statement by Kayode Adegoke, NIMC’s head of corporate communications, on Saturday.
On June 20, Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise, alerted the public to the sale of national identification numbers (NINs), bank verification numbers (BVNs), and other personal data on a website for as low as N100. The organization identified ‘AnyVerify.com.ng‘ as one of such platform engaged in the commercial distribution of Nigerians’ personal and private data.
Paradigm Initiative further highlighted that several unauthorized websites are claiming to provide access to sensitive personal and financial data of Nigerian citizens for minimal fees. “This alarming development presents a major breach of the fundamental rights to privacy, a breach of data privacy rights, and poses significant risks to individuals and the national economy,” the organization stated.
In response to these reports, NIMC identified AnyVerify.com.ng and other similar websites as unauthorized data harvesters. The commission denied any compromise of Nigerians’ sensitive data.
“The commission assures the public that the data of Nigerians has not been compromised, and the commission has not authorized any website or entity to sell or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the report,” NIMC stated.
NIMC urged the public to disregard claims or services offered by these websites and to avoid providing their data to potentially fraudulent platforms. The commission emphasized that data provided to unauthorized sites are stored and used to build illegal data services.
NIMC highlighted its robust measures to safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats, stating that its infrastructure meets stringent ISO 27001:2013 information security management system standards, with annual recertification and strict compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law.
The commission advised Nigerians to avoid giving their data to unauthorized and phishing sites and stressed that licensed partners or vendors are not authorized to scan or store NIN slips but to verify them through approved channels. “This poses the danger of data harvesting and compromises individual data,” NIMC added.
Reaffirming its commitment to ethical standards in data protection, NIMC stated it is working closely with security operatives to apprehend those masquerading as online vendors and ensure they face the full wrath of the law. The agency urged the public to remain vigilant against false information and rely on verified sources for accurate updates.
Some of the unauthorized websites collecting personal data include idfinder.com.ng, Verify.ng, championtech.com.ng, trustyonline.com, and anyverify.com.
