Don’t Fall Victim: Nigeria Customs Exposes Fake Vehicle Auction Using Officer’s Image
- The Nigeria Customs Service warned Nigerians about a fake social media account conducting fraudulent vehicle auctions
- The agency said the account, which is using an officer's image on social media, did not originate from the customs service
- NCS urged Nigerians not to make payments or engage with the fraudulent account, but rely only on its official information channels
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology, and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned members of the public about a fraudulent social media account falsely claiming to organise vehicle auctions on behalf of the agency.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the service clarified that the claims circulating online are false and did not originate from the customs authority.
Source: Facebook
According to the NCS, the account is using the image of one of its officers to deceive unsuspecting individuals into believing that the service is selling vehicles through social media platforms.
Customs denies involvement in online vehicle sales
The agency stressed that the officer whose photograph is being used has no involvement in any form of vehicle sales on social media.
It further explained that the account is an impersonation created to defraud members of the public.
“The officer whose image is being used is not involved in any car sales on social media, and the account is an act of impersonation intended to defraud unsuspecting members of the public,” the statement read.
The service advised Nigerians to ignore such messages and avoid making any payments to individuals or pages claiming to represent the agency in vehicle auctions online.
NCS urges public to report fraudulent accounts
The customs service further urged the public to report the fake account so that appropriate action can be taken against those behind it.
It also encouraged citizens to rely only on official channels for accurate information about the agency’s activities.
For verified updates, the NCS said the public should follow its official communication platforms, including its website and social media pages.
The agency stated:
“For reliable and factual information about NCS, please follow us on updates published through our official communication channels: Facebook: Nigeria Customs Service; Instagram: @customsng; TikTok: @customsng; Threads: @customsng; X: @customsng; Website: customs.gov.ng”
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria Customs auctions seized petrol
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigeria Customs Service auctioned 14,875 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) worth N14.875 million to the public in Lagos after intercepting the products from smugglers. The exercise was conducted under Operation Whirlwind at the Customs Training College in Ikeja.
The National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Abubakar Aliyu, said the petrol was seized while being illegally transported to a neighbouring country. The products, with a duty-paid value of N14.875 million, were intercepted within the Lagos/Ogun axis in Zone A.
The NCS stated that a total of 595 jerrycans, amounting to 14,875 litres of PMS, were intercepted across key border communities, including Imeko, Ilara, Ilaro, Idiroko, and Seme-Badagry.
Source: Legit.ng
