Oscarline Onwuemenyi
12 June 2012, Sweetcrude, ABUJA – The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Engr. Austen Oniwon has raised alarm over widespread impersonation of his person for fraudulent transactions on various social internet media.
He has therefore sought protection from the State Security Services to check the fraudulent acts which he said was doing great damage to his reputation, even as he notes that he has never owned any account on any social media.
A statement from the Acting Group General Manager, NNPC Group Public Affairs, Mr. Fidel Pepple made available to our correspondent in Abuja, noted that, “The activities of these criminally minded persons entail the issuance of fake letters on the internet with the aim of defrauding innocent members of the public including investors within and outside Nigeria.”
Pepple noted that the damage done by the activities of these fraudsters on the hard-earned reputation of the GMD was incalculable.
He stressed that these criminals were taking advantage of growing popularity and utilization of the internet especially the social media platforms to perpetrate their fraudulent activities.
According to him, the GMD does not have any account in any of the social media networks (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedln among others) and urged the public to disregard any request allegedly coming from him.
Pepple added that, in the meantime, the GMD has sought the intervention of the State Security Service (SSS) to stop the impersonators and to curb these unwholesome acts of fraud.
