EU warns of fake compensation scheme targeting trapped bank funds

The European Union has disowned a bogus scheme claiming to offer compensation to individuals with money trapped in West African banks.

In an official alert issued from Abuja on Wednesday, the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS warned that a fraudulent document circulating online is a scam.

The fake document, falsely attributed to Council of the European Union Secretary-General Thérèse Blanchet, claimed the EU had partnered with the World Bank to reimburse European and international citizens whose money was caught up in local bank transfer issues.

Fake emails and contact details

The document claimed that the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS had been tasked with overseeing the compensation claims, directing victims to contact him directly.

However, EU officials clarified that the claims are entirely false and intended to defraud the public:

• No official programme: The EU is not running, funding, or supporting any such recovery initiative in West Africa.
• Fraudulent contact information: The phone numbers and email addresses listed for Ms Blanchet and the EU ambassador in the document belong to scammers.
• Official channels: The delegation advised the public to rely solely on its official website and verified social media accounts for genuine updates.

“This document in its entirety is a scam. The information and claims contained therein are false,” the EU delegation said in a statement, urging members of the public to disregard the message.