A viral website promising Nigerians an instant ₦50,000 Federal Government cash transfer has been identified as fraudulent, amid growing interest in the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The website, promoted through WhatsApp messages, claims that Nigerians can receive the money without providing a Bank Verification Number.
However, a November 6 investigation by Nigerian Democratic Report (NDR) found that the website was not an official government platform.
The fact-checking organisation concluded that the message was false and identified the link as a phishing scam.
The development highlights how fraudsters are exploiting the existence of a genuine government relief programme to attract unsuspecting Nigerians.
What the fake ₦50,000 message claims
According to NDR’s November 6 fact-check, a message circulating on WhatsApp claims that the Federal Government is giving ₦50,000 to Nigerians without requiring a BVN.
The message directs users to an unfamiliar website to claim the supposed payment.
However, the website is not associated with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
NDR identified the domain as billnova.online, rather than an official Nigerian government address.
The fact-checking organisation also found that the claim of universal eligibility contradicted the government’s published NERSI selection rules.
Why the website is not genuine
The Federal Government says NERSI is intended for selected poor and vulnerable households.
Beneficiaries are identified through the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
There is no public application process.
The ministry also says genuine payment notifications are sent by approved financial service providers and do not contain registration links.
Consequently, a website promising ₦50,000 to everyone who completes an online form does not reflect the programme’s official procedures.
The government has warned that no agent can influence beneficiary selection or accelerate payment.
What another investigation found
A separate report published by Legit.ng on November 12 described two suspicious websites exploiting the NERSI programme.
The report, citing a CableCheck analysis, identified billnova.online and gifmi.site as websites promoted through misleading WhatsApp messages.
According to the report, the messages asked users to submit personal and banking information and share links with multiple WhatsApp groups or contacts.
The investigation said a VirusTotal scan flagged one of the websites as suspicious or malicious through several security vendors.
However, such technical findings do not establish that every person who visited the website suffered financial loss.
They do provide additional reasons for caution.
How genuine NERSI payments work
According to the ministry, selected beneficiaries receive SMS notifications from ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay or Moniepoint.
Recipients must follow the provider’s instructions to accept the grant.
Once the required consent has been provided, the money is credited to the beneficiary’s mobile wallet.
The ministry says the programme is free and that no registration or processing fee is required.
It also warns beneficiaries not to disclose their PINs, one-time passwords or Bank Verification Numbers to callers claiming to facilitate payments.
The official NERSI website is fmhapr.gov.ng/nersi.
What to do if you clicked the fake link
Nigerians who have clicked suspicious links should avoid submitting further personal information.
Anyone who entered banking passwords, PINs or other confidential credentials should contact the relevant financial institution immediately.
Affected customers may need to change compromised passwords, secure their accounts and report unauthorised transactions.
People who downloaded unfamiliar applications should also review their phone’s security.
Suspicious messages should not be forwarded to friends or family as supposed payment opportunities.
For NERSI-related enquiries, the government provides the helpline 0700-022-2222.
Verdict
False. The viral website offering an instant ₦50,000 payment to all Nigerians is not an official NERSI registration platform.
The genuine government intervention uses existing beneficiary records and sends payment notifications through approved financial service providers.
Nigerians should therefore avoid websites claiming that they can secure the grant by completing online forms or forwarding WhatsApp messages.