The Federal Government has disassociated itself from news currently in circulation over a fraudulent message allegedly wooing unsuspecting victims with an N80,000 grant to beneficiaries of the Survival Fund Scheme.

The Project Delivery Office (PDO) of the Scheme, via a statement on Saturday, adviced Nigerians to be aware of people he described as fraudsters seeking to scam unsuspecting members of the public.

He stated that the Steering Committee of the MSMEs Survival Fund and the Guaranteed Off Take Stimulus Scheme superintended by the Hon Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Maryam Katagum, has nothing to do with a reported collation of personal data of intending candidates.

The statement read in part: “The attention of the Steering Committee of the MSMEs Survival Fund and the Guaranteed Off Take Stimulus Scheme has been drawn to an ongoing fraudulent social media campaign requesting individuals to drop their account details on a WhatsApp platform to access N80,000 as stipends under the Payroll Support scheme.

“The notice requesting the public or individuals to disclose their account details on a WhatsApp platform is fraudulent and should be disregarded by all and sundry, as this message is not from the project delivery office of the scheme.

“The procedure for the implementation of all tracks of the survival fund and guaranteed off-take stimulus scheme does not require public display of account details to individuals or groups.

“It is also pertinent to note that under no track of the scheme are beneficiaries given the sum of N80,000 either in instalments or in whole.

“The amount given to beneficiaries remain N30,000 and N50,000 for Payroll Support; N30,000 for Artisans and Transport Grants; N50,000 for the General MSMEs Grant; and N100,000 per MSME for the guaranteed off-take stimulus scheme.

“The steering committee wishes to state that the purported scheme is not known to government, hence the general public is enjoined to disregard any message(s) from any individual or group requesting them to submit account details,” the statement said.

The authorities noted that the official and established lines of communication with the general public and beneficiaries, including prospective ones are the only approved source of information from the body. He adviced members of the public not to share their personal details, especially addresses and BVN details with scammers. 

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