A new scam on Facebook is reportedly harvesting the phone numbers of unsuspecting Nigerians under the pretense of offering a ₦850,000 federal government “stability grant.”
The page, named Hitng, shared a sponsored post on December 16 instructing Nigerians to comment their phone numbers to apply for the grant. It claims the funds are distributed by the so-called Federal Government Grants and Loans Program, a non-existent agency.
By Friday afternoon, the post had attracted over 2,300 comments, 1,400 likes, and 84 shares, with many users publicly sharing personal phone numbers.
Investigations by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) revealed that a user, Usman Abubakar, was urging commenters to join a WhatsApp group after submitting their phone numbers and bank details. Attempts to join the group were unsuccessful, as it appeared “full.”
FIJ also discovered that Abubakar promotes multiple referral and giveaway schemes, primarily in the Hausa language, and is reportedly based in Dukku, Gombe State.
Clicking the post’s link redirected users to a page advertising relocation programs to the United States and United Kingdom through various academic schemes, diverging from typical visa scams.
This latest incident adds to the growing list of misleading Facebook posts targeting Nigerians, including fake grants promoted by RelocateWell and Oma Assets, raising concerns over Meta and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria’s (ARCON) inaction.
FIJ continues to urge Nigerians to remain cautious and verify any government-related grants before sharing personal information online.