DSP Bright Edafe, the Police Public Relations Officer in Delta State, has provided crucial advice on safeguarding bank accounts in the event of mobile phone theft. In a security advisory shared on his official X handle, Edafe urged Nigerians to enhance their security by locking their SIM cards with a pin.
Edafe emphasized that criminals often exploit the link between the victim’s bank accounts and their phone numbers, gaining unauthorized access to the accounts. He recommended the activation of a SIM pin as a crucial step to thwart such criminal activities, making it challenging for assailants to access victims’ accounts even if they possess the stolen mobile phones.
He stated, “When you lose your phone and before you know it, your bank account has been emptied, the criminals didn’t have access to your bank account because they have your phone or mobile banking app, they did because they have your SMS alert sim card.”
Edafe stressed the importance of promptly activating a sim pin on all sim cards, describing it not as an option but a necessary security measure. He urged individuals who have not implemented this security feature to do so without delay.
The advisory comes in the wake of reported incidents in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where residents have suffered financial losses due to criminals, commonly known as ‘one chance,’ who snatch phones and exploit them to access victims’ bank accounts.