"Your BVN needs update" or "account blocked" SMS: what the CBN says about it

A text saying "your BVN needs update" or "your account has been blocked, call this number to reactivate" is a known fraud pattern, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned about exactly this. The CBN says neither it nor any bank, staff member or agent will ever call or text you to ask for passwords, card details or your PIN, so don't call the number in the message: contact your bank yourself.

What has the CBN said about BVN "deactivation" messages?

In a press release titled "BVN: Bank Customers Beware", the CBN said individuals had been sending unsolicited mails and text messages telling bank customers their accounts would be deactivated or suspended because their Bank Verification Number (BVN) registration was incomplete. The example it quoted told the customer that "due to the new BVN policy" the account had been deactivated and that they should call a number to reactivate it.

The CBN's warning was clear on three points:

1. Those messages are meant to lure account holders into revealing personal details that fraudsters can use to defraud them.
2. Neither the CBN nor deposit money banks, nor their employees or agents, will ever call bank customers or send email or text messages asking for passwords, card details or PINs.
3. For any issue that requires sharing personal bank details, customers should visit their bank in person.

The release is filed under 2015 on the CBN website, during the original BVN registration drive, but the script has barely changed: the "deadline", the threat to block your account and a number to call.

What does the CBN list as common frauds?

The CBN's fraud and scam awareness page names phishing, where fraudsters pose as legitimate organisations by email, text or phone to get sensitive details such as passwords or card numbers. It also lists social engineering, where criminals exploit trust or fear, often by pretending to be authority figures. A BVN "update" text combines both: it pretends to be your bank or the CBN and frightens you with a blocked account.

How do these BVN and "account blocked" scams usually work?

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) describes the same method on its banking and online account scams page. Scammers pose as banks, using fake letterheads and logos, and ask for login details, PINs and passwords, usually claiming the information is needed to update your account and that it may be closed if you don't respond in time. Sometimes they send you to a look-alike website. Once they have the details, they quickly withdraw money from your account.

Watch for these signs:

• A deadline or threat: "within 24 hours", "account blocked", "BVN suspended".
• A number or link to call or click, rather than an instruction to visit your branch.
• A request for codes or secrets: PIN, password, OTP, card number or your full BVN.
• A sender that isn't your bank's usual name, such as an ordinary 080 or 081 mobile number.

What should I do if I get one of these messages?

1. Don't call the number or tap the link in the SMS.
2. Don't share your PIN, password, OTP or card details with anyone who contacts you, whatever they say.
3. Check with your bank directly, using the phone number on your card or the bank's official app or website, or by visiting a branch as the CBN advises.
4. Ask yourself the EFCC's question: why would my bank ask me to update my account by text? The EFCC reminds people that banks already have the information they need about you.
5. Delete the message once you've confirmed it's fake, and block the sender.

I already replied or shared my details. What now?

1. Call your bank immediately and ask it to freeze the account and reverse any unauthorised transactions. The CBN's fraud page puts contacting your financial institution first.
2. Change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication, as the CBN advises.
3. Report the fraud. The CBN's page lists authorities including the EFCC, the DSS, the Nigeria Police Force and the ICPC. The EFCC accepts petitions through its Submit Petition page, and its listed hotline is +234 809 332 2644.
4. Tell your mobile network about the number that texted you and get a ticket number. If the network does nothing, you can escalate to the NCC on its toll-free line, 622 (NCC).

What about the OTP and BVN themselves?

The CBN release names passwords, card details and PINs. Your bank's OTP works like a password for a single transaction, so treat it the same way: nobody genuine needs you to read it out over the phone. Your BVN is an identifier your bank already holds, so a stranger asking you to "confirm" it by SMS or call is a red flag on its own.

Fake bank messages often come from numbers that have already been reported by others. A caller-ID app such as NoCall can help you spot them, but the safest test is always to contact your bank on a number you looked up yourself.