The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has warned Nigerians to stay away from a “fake” app that claims to help link the National Identity Number (NIN) to SIM cards.
This is a clear departure from the earlier assertion by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
Pantami, last week, claimed that the agency had developed a mobile app that could be used to link up to seven SIM cards to one NIN.
Pantami, in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today last week Friday, said that the ministry and NIMC were working on transforming the NIN enrollment process and the subsequent linkage to SIM cards as required by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).
“We developed an app, when you go online, you will see it,” the minister said.
“On that app, as long as you have your NIMC number, you will only download the app without visiting any office. You will be able to link up to seven SIM numbers to only one. I have already downloaded the app, launched the app, and already linked some of my numbers immediately. This is part of digitalization.”
However, NIMC, in a Twitter post on Monday, dissociated itself from the app.
The agency claimed the app, titled “NIN Linker” on Goggle Play Store, is run by fraudsters who use it to harvest the NIN and Bank Verification Number (BVN) of subscribers.
“The app was not created by NIMC or the Federal Government of Nigeria. It is run by fraudsters who are currently harvesting people’s NINs and BVNs by default,” NIMC said.
The Commission further advised people to protect their data and stop disclosing personal information to unauthorized persons or platforms.
The Federal Government had announced that telecom subscribers with NIN have until January 19 to link their NIN with their SIM cards, while subscribers without NIN have February 9 deadline.
