TheCable

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned loan seekers and owners of small-scale businesses to beware of fraudulent people when trying to access its development finance intervention programmes.

In a statement released on Monday and signed by Isaac Okorafor, its director of corporate communications, the bank advised prospective loan seekers to approach their banks to access its programmes.

“The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been drawn to fraudulent messages in the social media circles requesting unsuspecting loan seekers and owners of small-scale businesses to apply for loans provided by the Federal Government through an e-mail address ([email protected]) purportedly being handled by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),” it said.

“While the CBN, indeed, has several development finance intervention programmes from which different categories of businesses have benefitted (and still benefit), the Bank DOES NOT do so through direct interaction with prospective applicants.

“Prospective applicants are advised to approach their respective banks or the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branch nearest to them for clarification on the procedure for accessing any of the CBN-related loans.”

According to the CBN, intervention funds are disbursed through participating financial institutions such as deposit money banks (DMBs), development finance institutions (DFIs) and microfinance banks (MFBs).

The CBN warned loan seekers not to divulge personal information through emails claiming to emanate from the apex bank adding that “anyone who enters into correspondence with them does so at his or her own risk”.