Fraudsters reportedly hacked and cloned the WhatsApp number of Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, using it for fraudulent activities involving millions of naira. Leadership Newspaper reports that the impostor has been using the hacked number to request large sums of money from the governor’s associates.
In one such instance, the fraudster, posing as the governor, asked a close ally to send N7 million to a specific account, claiming that the governor would reimburse the amount later, as he was currently in the United States for an official function. Fortunately, the recipient of the message became suspicious and alerted other key government officials.
The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) and spokesman for the governor, Mr. Ekerete Udoh, has confirmed the incident and issued a public warning. In his statement, he said, “We noticed a carefully orchestrated fraudulent scheme on social media, where criminal elements cloned the WhatsApp number of His Excellency, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, intending to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.”
We warn that any message soliciting funds in the governor’s name should be ignored. It is not from him. Law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing the perpetrators of this ignoble act.”
