The Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) has warned against the activities of fraudsters forging its website to swindle unsuspecting members of the public.
In a statement on Sunday in Port Harcourt, NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Ibitoye Abosede said the fraudsters were parading fake contract offers.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission has been drawn to the activities of fraudsters dangling fake contracts and forging the official website of the Commission.
“The latest scam circulating online is another communication between fraudsters and a US-based company purporting to indicate that a ‘Contract Award Committee’ within the Commission is processing tenders for jobs.
“The letter has the name of the former Chairman of the Governing Board as the Chairman of this Committee. As part of the plot to make the scam look authentic, the fraudster(s) also sent another communication to the company advising them to contact Mr. Charles Ogunmola, the Project Director.
“It is important to state that Ogunmola, who is actually the Executive Director, Projects, is not a party to this communication, neither does the phone number provided by the fraudster(s), +234 903 495 8638 belong to him.
“We wish to state that the document (and its contents) are fake and did not originate from the Commission or any of its officials (past or present). For the avoidance of doubt, there is no ‘Contract Award Committee’ in the Commission.
“We hereby totally disclaim the letter and all associated communication.
The agency said contract awards in the interventionist agency followed due process stipulated by the Procurement Act.
“At the end of that process, the successful bidder is issued an award letter signed by the Director of Procurement. That award letter is on a security paper and has a serial number and a QR code. Contract award letters do not come from any other official.
“We urge anyone who is in receipt of any purported letter of contract award to cross-check the same with the Procurement Department of the Commission. We also warn the public to beware of fraudsters who will stop at nothing to dupe others
“We advise the public to beware of fraudsters who will stop at nothing to dupe others.
“In this regard, we have also noticed the existence of a fake website that is impersonating the official NDDC website and scamming Nigerians and foreigners.
“We hereby issue a disclaimer and warning to the public about this fraudulent website, nddcprojectsandsupplies.org, and its owners and activities. The fake website is not in any way associated with the NDDC.
“The fake website claims to be the official portal of the NDDC and offers various services and opportunities to the public, such as project registration, contract award, supply of goods and equipment, and payment of funds.
‘The website also displays some logos and images that are similar to those of the NDDC and the Federal Government of Nigeria”.
The statement insisted that these are all ‘false and misleading’, as the NDDC does not solicit or accept any form of payment from the public for its projects or programmes.
It said: “The public is hereby warned to be guided and be careful not to fall prey to the scams and schemes of this website or any other impostors claiming to represent the NDDC.
“Anyone who deals with such persons or entities does so at their own risk and peril. The NDDC will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from such transactions.
“The NDDC advises the public to report any suspicious or fraudulent activities to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
“The official NDDC website is www.nddc.gov.ng, and it has a secure connection and a verified domain name. The public can access the official website to get accurate and reliable information about the NDDC’s vision, mission, objectives, projects, programmes, achievements, and challenges. The public can also contact the NDDC through its official email address (info@nddc.gov.ng), and social media platforms.
“We are confident that the security agencies will catch up with these fraudsters, who are hell-bent on denting the name of the Commission and the country because of their greed”.
