Nigerians expecting the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 relief grant have been warned against fraudulent messages, suspicious registration links and individuals promising to secure payment in exchange for money.
The National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) provides financial assistance to selected vulnerable Nigerians through five authorised digital payment providers.
However, public interest in the programme has created opportunities for fraudsters to impersonate government officials and financial institutions.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has published guidance explaining how beneficiaries can identify genuine notifications and avoid scams.
According to the official NERSI website, legitimate beneficiaries do not need to register, pay an agent or click a link to receive the grant.
Here are seven warning signs Nigerians should watch for.
1. The message comes from an unauthorised sender
The ministry says genuine NERSI notifications are issued through five authorised payment providers.
They are ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
A message claiming to offer the grant from an unrelated sender should be treated with caution.
However, a familiar sender name alone should not be considered conclusive proof of authenticity.
Recipients should also examine the instructions contained in the message.
If anything appears suspicious, they should verify it through official channels.
2. The message asks beneficiaries to click a registration link
The Federal Government says NERSI does not require public registration.
Selected beneficiaries are contacted through the approved payment providers.
The ministry also states that genuine programme messages do not contain links requiring recipients to register or claim the grant.
Consequently, a WhatsApp message directing Nigerians to a website to complete an application should raise concern.
Recipients should avoid entering personal or banking details on unfamiliar websites.
3. Someone demands payment to release the ₦50,000
The government says accepting and receiving the NERSI grant is free.
Beneficiaries are not required to pay processing fees or registration charges.
Anyone demanding money to release the grant is acting outside the official programme.
This includes individuals claiming that a beneficiary must pay an activation fee before the wallet can be credited.
The ministry says nobody can sell access to the beneficiary list.
4. The message requests a banking PIN or OTP
The ministry warns that no legitimate NERSI official or payment provider will ask beneficiaries to disclose their banking PIN or One-Time Password.
These credentials can be used to authorise financial transactions.
Fraudsters may attempt to obtain them by claiming that the beneficiary’s wallet requires urgent verification.
However, recipients should never share such information over the telephone, through WhatsApp or in response to an unsolicited message.
They should contact their provider directly if they are uncertain about a request.
5. Someone asks for a BVN to guarantee payment
The Bank Verification Number is another sensitive identifier that beneficiaries have been warned to protect.
According to the official FAQ, no programme representative will ask recipients to disclose their BVN to release the grant.
A person requesting the information in exchange for payment approval should therefore be treated with suspicion.
Beneficiaries should not confuse the government’s use of verified identity records with an instruction to submit sensitive banking details to unknown individuals.
6. A message promises guaranteed selection
The ministry says beneficiaries are selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
It also states that selection cannot be influenced by agents, officials or third parties.
Consequently, individuals promising to add names to the beneficiary list for a fee are making claims that contradict the official programme guidelines.
The same warning applies to messages promising immediate payment to everyone who completes a form.
Not everyone is selected in the same phase, and the government has not established a public registration process.
7. A WhatsApp message asks people to forward it to receive money
The government has also warned against chain messages.
According to the official FAQ, forwarding a WhatsApp message does not make someone eligible for NERSI.
Recipients should therefore ignore messages claiming that the grant will be released after they share a link with friends or groups.
Such messages may be designed to spread misinformation or direct users to fraudulent websites.
What does a genuine NERSI notification look like?
The ministry says genuine messages identify the authorised payment provider and contain instructions for accepting the support.
Beneficiaries may be asked to reply YES or use the provider’s designated USSD code.
The official codes include *945*23# for ALAT, *671*0# for MoMo PSB and *726*00# for NairaGram.
OPay uses *955*20#, while Moniepoint uses *5573*27#.
Recipients should follow the instructions from their designated provider rather than dialling unfamiliar codes supplied by third parties.
What should Nigerians do after receiving a suspicious message?
They should avoid clicking links, sending money or disclosing sensitive information.
They should also avoid downloading unfamiliar applications advertised as NERSI registration tools.
The ministry advises beneficiaries to contact their authorised payment provider when uncertain about a message.
For general programme enquiries, Nigerians can call 0700-022-2222.
Anyone who has already disclosed sensitive banking credentials should contact their financial institution immediately to protect the affected account.
The central warning is straightforward: NERSI is a government grant, not a paid registration opportunity.
A genuine beneficiary should not have to pay an agent, reveal a banking PIN or complete an unofficial online application to receive the ₦50,000 support.