The European Union (EU) has alerted the public to a fraudulent document circulating online that falsely claims the bloc and the World Bank are offering compensation to people whose funds are allegedly trapped in banks and financial institutions across West Africa.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS described the purported compensation programme as a scam, stressing that neither the European Union nor the World Bank has any connection with such an initiative.
The fake document, which was wrongly attributed to Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, Thérèse Blanchet, claimed that a special EU-World Bank recovery programme had been created to compensate individuals whose legally transferred funds were allegedly withheld by banks in the region.
It also falsely stated that the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, had been appointed to oversee the process and instructed potential beneficiaries to contact him for assistance.
However, the EU dismissed the claims, describing the entire document as fabricated and warning members of the public not to fall victim to the scheme.
“The document in its entirety is a scam. The information and claims contained therein are false. The European Union is neither aware of any such bogus programme nor part of it,” the delegation stated.
The EU further revealed that the email addresses and phone numbers listed in the fake document, which were presented as contacts for senior EU officials, were created by fraudsters to mislead unsuspecting individuals.
The delegation advised the public to disregard the alleged compensation offer and avoid communicating with persons promoting the fraudulent scheme.
It added that genuine information from the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS is only released through its official communication channels, including its verified website and social media platforms.
The warning comes amid rising cases of online financial fraud, where criminals impersonate international organisations, government agencies and prominent officials to obtain money or sensitive personal information from victims.
Security experts have continued to advise citizens to verify unsolicited offers involving compensation, grants, investments or financial recovery programmes through official sources before taking any action.
The EU reaffirmed its commitment to tackling fraud and misinformation while urging the public to remain cautious of scams that exploit the reputation of trusted global institutions.
