The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has issued a warning to the public regarding fraudsters and unscrupulous individuals who are impersonating the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Banku Obi, on various social media platforms.
The university’s Public Relations Office has urged the public to exercise caution and refrain from conducting any business with individuals pretending to be the Vice-Chancellor on social media, as anyone who falls prey to such scams does so at their own risk.
The statement from UNICAL stressed that the Vice Chancellor, and by extension, the institution, will not engage in any financial transactions via social media or request for financial gratifications from anyone.
The university also debunked the false claims made by fraudsters on social media that the Federal Government had approved the supply of HP Laptops to the institution, labelling it a calculated attempt to defraud unsuspecting individuals of their hard-earned money.
In particular, the statement highlighted that a specific impersonator with the WhatsApp number 09136530445 is using various social media platforms to offer contracts to unsuspecting members of the public.
UNICAL has urged the public to disregard any messages or chats from this number, emphasizing that such messages are not from the Vice Chancellor.
The warning from UNICAL is a timely reminder for the public to be vigilant and exercise caution when dealing with individuals claiming to represent any institution or high-profile individual on social media.
The public is advised to verify the authenticity of any social media account or message before engaging in any financial transactions or communication.
