The Nigeria Customs Service (NIS) yesterday warned the public about a fake Instagram account, J. O Attah Autos, running vehicle auctions and falsely claiming affiliation with the service. Spokesman Abdullahi Maiwada gave the warning in a statement on Monday.

The Instagram page, @ nigeriacustoms001, features discounted pictures of vehicles with a phone number attached, targeting potential buyers unaware of the fraud. Maiwada described the social media account as fraudulent and an act of impersonation targeting unsuspecting members of the public by using the image of an NCS personnel as its profile picture. He said: “The NCS wishes to state clearly that this claim is false and did not originate from the service.

“The officer whose image is being used is not involved in any car sales on social media, and the account is an act of impersonation intended to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.”