The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has advised the general public to beware of criminal characters parading themselves as officers of the Commission in different guises.
EFCC, in a statement on Tuesday by its Head of Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said available intelligence showed that several ingenious but fraudulent means are being employed by dark characters to besmirch the reputation of the EFCC.
He disclosed that there is a gang of fraudsters now operating around popular Eateries or funspots in major cities in the country.
Noting that their modus operandi is laying ambush for innocent youths coming out of the Eateries and harassing them on unfounded suspicions of being internet fraudsters and dispossessing them of their valuables.
These characters, according to him, usually portray the identities of authentic EFCC officers by dressing in fake uniforms and moving their victims to locations bearing fictitious resemblance to an EFCC office.
Oyewale, also disclosed that there is a gang of itinerant criminals harassing innocent motorists on the identities of their number plates and wield dangerous weapons to compel their victims to offer them money on trumped-up accusations.
He said there is yet another tribe of online impersonators and fraudulent content creators dramatizing fake sting operations of the EFCC with evidence of broken doors, windows and forced entrance into their premises.
Explaining that such uncharacteristic portrayals of the EFCC could deceive unsuspecting members of the public into holding the Commission and its officers culpable of contrived actions of impersonators.
He therefore, enjoined the public to be circumspect in its evaluation of claims intended to drag the Commission’s image into the mud.
The anti-graft spokesperson said the EFCC has its standard operating procedures about all its activities and appropriate channels of ventilating grievances against any operation or officer of the Commission are in place.
He said while the EFCC is steadfastly pursuing its mandate of ridding the nation of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption, well-meaning and reform-minded Nigerians should not allow their judgment of the works of the Commission to be negatively affected by the activities of these impersonators, blackmailers and fake characters using the identities of the Commission to serve their nefarious interests.
