A report from a Pan-African social enterprise, Paradigm Initiative, has revealed that several unauthorised websites are selling sensitive personal and financial data of Nigerians for as little as N100.
Paradigm Initiative raised the alarm on Thursday in a statement, noting that the development presents a major breach of fundamental rights to privacy, a breach of data privacy rights, and poses significant risks to individuals and the national economy.
According to the Group, the website AnyVerify.com.ng was discovered to be involved in the commercial distribution of personal and private data of Nigerians.
The website which has been operating since November 2023, is commercialising personal data, including National Identity Numbers, Bank Verification Numbers, driver’s licences, and phone numbers, for N100 per request to any interested party.
The website reportedly had over 567,990 visits in February 2024 and 188,360 in April 2024.
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AnyVerify.com.ng on its website, claimed “We provide millions of our users reliable and quickest services to verify people’s identity using their NIN, BVN, International Passport, Driving License, Voter’s Card and do much more.”
The report read in part, “On the 16th of March, 2024, an online media outlet, Fij.ng, published a story on its platform, with the headline, ‘ALERT: XpressVerify, a Private Website, Has Access to Registered Nigerians’ Data and Is Making Money From It.’ In that publication, the media outlet presented an investigative story of a website with the web address, www.XpressVerify.com.ng, that had access to the personal data of Nigerian citizens and commercialised the data for personal gain. Even though the website was quickly taken down, Paradigm Initiative is currently seeking legal redress on behalf of Nigerian citizens.
“Following the XpressVerify incident, further research was undertaken and it was discovered that another actor tagged AnyVerify.com.ng has been operating in the digital space of Nigeria since November 2023.
“From our research, AnyVerify.com.ng is a website involved in the commercial distribution of personal and private data of Nigerians. On its webpage, a drop-down displaying the myriad of data services which the website renders can be observed. These include personal data such as the National Identity Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), virtual NIN, Driving License, International Passport, Company details, Tax Identification Number (TIN), Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) and Phone Numbers. All these are sold by this website to any interested party for the sum of N100.00 (One Hundred Naira Only) for each data request. This website was visited five hundred and sixty-seven thousand, nine hundred and ninety (567,990) times in February 2024 and one hundred and eighty-eight thousand, three hundred and sixty (188,360) times in April 2024.”
The report added that due to the severe implications for millions of Nigerians, Vindich Legal, through its legal partners, has served a pre-action notice to relevant government agencies.
The agencies include the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Paradigm Initiative while speaking on the implications of the data leaks, noted that unauthorised access to personal data is a blatant infringement on the privacy of Nigerian citizens.
It added that the dissemination of such information could lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activities, including data owners being targeted by burglars, kidnappers, or terrorists who buy data that includes home addresses.
According to the Paradigm Initiative, the availability of sensitive financial data online can undermine the stability of Nigeria’s banking system, adding that fraudulent transactions and identity theft can erode public trust in financial institutions, potentially leading to a financial crisis.
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
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