The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has issued a warning to the public about a rise in online scams involving fake job and auction offers falsely linked to the agency.

The NCS urged Nigerians to stay alert and avoid falling for fraudsters posing as customs officials online.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, raised concern over the increasing use of social media by scammers to impersonate senior customs officers.

“We have noticed a troubling increase in fake accounts using the names and photos of top officials, including the Comptroller-General, the National PRO, and even retired officers. These accounts falsely claim to offer jobs and auction opportunities,” he said.

Maiwada stressed that the NCS does not carry out recruitment or auctions through social media, calling such actions criminal and aimed at damaging the agency’s image while deceiving innocent people.

He also disclosed that the service had recently arrested one Mr. Okoli Okana Boniface for allegedly attempting to manipulate the recruitment process by falsely claiming to be a personal assistant to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

“The case was reported and investigated by the Customs Police Unit. Findings showed it was a deliberate attempt to compromise the recruitment process,” Maiwada said.

He described the arrest as proof of the NCS’s commitment to protecting the integrity of its operations and reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy on fraud.

He added that investigations are ongoing to uncover other similar fraud cases.

Maiwada advised Nigerians to always confirm recruitment and auction information through the NCS’s official platforms.

“People should ignore messages or offers from unofficial sources and rely only on our verified communication channels for accurate updates.

“The Nigeria Customs Service remains dedicated to exposing and prosecuting anyone trying to deceive the public or undermine our operations,” he concluded.