Nigerians who receive the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 relief grant have been warned against transferring money to strangers who claim that the payment was made in error.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has identified such requests as a potential fraud tactic targeting beneficiaries of the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
According to the official NERSI FAQ, recipients should not send money to anyone who contacts them claiming that a grant payment was accidental.
Instead, the government advises beneficiaries to contact their payment providers through official support channels.
What is the mistaken-payment scam?
The scheme involves someone contacting a beneficiary after money has entered the person’s wallet.
The caller or sender may claim that the payment was transferred to the wrong account.
The individual may then ask the beneficiary to return the money to a separate bank account.
Such requests can appear convincing, particularly when the caller claims to represent a financial institution or government agency.
However, NERSI warns that beneficiaries should not act on such instructions without independent verification.
Why should beneficiaries avoid returning money directly?
The government says payments are made through approved financial institutions after beneficiaries give consent.
The payment process is linked to verified identity information.
A stranger’s claim that the transaction was accidental is therefore not sufficient evidence that the money must be returned.
Sending funds to an account supplied by an unknown caller could expose the beneficiary to fraud.
It could also make it more difficult to resolve a genuine payment dispute.
The appropriate response is to contact the payment provider independently.
What if the caller claims to work for NERSI?
The government says programme officials and payment providers will not ask beneficiaries to disclose PINs, OTPs or BVNs.
It also says no individual can demand money to release the grant.
A person claiming to represent NERSI should not be trusted merely because they know the beneficiary’s telephone number.
Recipients should end suspicious conversations and contact the programme or provider through verified numbers.
How can beneficiaries confirm a genuine payment?
The official FAQ says beneficiaries receive confirmation messages when their wallets are credited.
They can also use their provider’s USSD code to check their balances.
The approved institutions are ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
A recipient who receives an unexpected credit should check the transaction through the provider’s official platform.
If the transaction is disputed, the provider can advise on the appropriate procedure.
What if money really was transferred incorrectly?
The public NERSI FAQ does not provide a detailed dispute-resolution procedure for genuine mistaken transfers.
However, it clearly advises beneficiaries not to return money directly to strangers.
This distinction is important.
The government is not saying that every disputed transaction must be ignored.
Rather, it is directing beneficiaries to verify the situation through the authorised financial institution.
A genuine error should be handled through the provider’s formal process.
Should beneficiaries share transaction screenshots?
Beneficiaries should be careful when sharing payment information.
A screenshot may reveal account numbers, wallet identifiers, transaction references or other personal details.
Where a provider requests evidence of a disputed transaction, the beneficiary should use an authenticated support channel.
They should avoid sending sensitive information to unknown WhatsApp contacts or social media accounts.
What if someone threatens legal action?
A caller may attempt to pressure a recipient by claiming that failure to return the money will lead to arrest or account closure.
However, such threats do not establish that the caller is authorised to receive funds.
Beneficiaries should not make transfers under pressure.
They should preserve relevant messages and contact their provider.
The official NERSI helpline is 0700-022-2222.
What should recipients remember?
NERSI is a grant, not a loan.
The government says selected beneficiaries do not have to repay the ₦50,000 support.
Therefore, a demand for repayment should not be confused with an ordinary programme requirement.
The key rule is that beneficiaries should never return NERSI money to a stranger merely because the person claims the original payment was a mistake.
Any genuine transaction problem should be verified through the designated payment provider.