The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a warning to Nigerians about an increasing trend of fraudulent claims involving foreign currency transfers. In a statement released on Tuesday, the CBN highlighted that many individuals, law firms, government agencies, and private entities have reported that foreign funds supposedly transferred to their accounts have not been credited, with many of these claims supported by falsified SWIFT documents.
The CBN disclosed that several complaints have been made, all accompanied by fake SWIFT MT103 forms and acknowledgement copies, which could not be verified on the SWIFT network. This indicates that the alleged transfers did not occur, and the funds were never received.
The CBN urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to fraudulent schemes, emphasizing that such documents are unreliable and the transfers have not been processed. It further advised that if a beneficiary bank claims non-receipt of funds, the sender’s bank should be contacted to trace and recover the funds, rather than escalating the issue to the CBN or law enforcement.
Additionally, the CBN clarified that it does not provide correspondent banking services for Nigerian banks or maintain accounts for private businesses. The bank reiterated that claims of foreign currency inflows being “trapped” in the CBN are false and misleading.
The statement concluded with a stern warning against making unfounded claims, asserting that the CBN would report such cases to the authorities for investigation and prosecution.
