Access Bank Plc has issued a fresh fraud alert to its customers, warning of increased risks from fake promotions, shopping deals, and digital transactions. The bank urged customers to never share their One-Time Passwords (OTPs), Card Verification Values (CVVs), Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), or card details to claim any offer.
The warning comes amid heightened spending during the peak travel and shopping season, when increased card usage, online bookings, and cross-border payments could provide fraudsters with more opportunities to target unsuspecting customers.
How to Protect Your Account
In a fraud-prevention alert, Access Bank specifically warned against sharing sensitive banking information to claim promotions. The bank said, “Never share your OTP, CVV, PIN or card details to claim any offer.”
According to the lender, customers should be suspicious of unsolicited messages offering discounts, gift cards, promotions, or other benefits, particularly when such offers require them to provide confidential banking credentials. Fraudsters often disguise themselves as banks, retailers, or other trusted businesses and use attractive offers to convince victims to surrender information that can be used to access their accounts or carry out unauthorised transactions.
Steps to Block Your Account
Access Bank also reminded customers of the steps they can take if they suspect that their banking information has been compromised. The bank said customers can block their accounts from any phone by dialling 901911#.
Customers can also contact Tamada, Access Bank’s 24-hour virtual banking assistant, through the Access More application. To use the service, customers are required to log into Access More, select “Support,” and then click on “Chat with Tamada.”
The bank advised customers to rely on its official channels when verifying suspicious messages instead of responding to unsolicited requests.
Digital Payments Increase Fraud Exposure
The warning comes as Nigerians increasingly depend on digital payments for everyday purchases, travel bookings, and other financial transactions. While the growth of electronic payments has made transactions faster and more convenient, it has also created new opportunities for scammers to exploit consumers.
Fraudsters may use fake promotions, phishing messages, impersonation, and other tactics to obtain sensitive information from customers. Banks have consistently advised customers to keep their OTPs, PINs, CVVs, and card details private. These credentials can be used to authenticate transactions or gain access to financial accounts.
For consumers shopping or travelling during the busy season, the message from Access Bank is clear: attractive offers should be verified through official channels, while any request for an OTP, PIN, CVV, or card details should be treated as a potential fraud attempt.
