The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has raised the alarm over the activities of fraudsters willing to dupe prospective beneficiaries of its youth internship scheme.
The Director, Corporate Affairs of the Commission, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in a statement on Friday, said it has received several reports of people receiving unsolicited messages purported to emanate from the interventionist agency.
The statement said the NDDC will not ask for any amount of money for the formal registration of the beneficiaries, insisting that the messages being sent is to dupe people of their hard-earned money.
According to the statement, the NDDC has verified channels through which it will pass on information to members of the public and urge those who registered online for the scheme to disregard the messages.
The statement reads: "The attention of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has been drawn to the fraudulent activities of scammers claiming to represent the NDDC Youth Internship Scheme for which registration closed on August 31, 2024.
"We received reports that several persons have been getting unsolicited messages stating that they have been selected for the NDDC Internship Scheme, accompanied by requests for personal information and an acceptance fee.
"Please, be advised that the NDDC does not require any fees or payment for placement of qualified youths in its internship program.
"We wish to state unequivocally that the NDDC is not behind this purported selection process, which is clearly a scam. Our official communications will always come from verified website and social media handles.
"If you receive a message similar to the one described, we urge you to disregard the fraudulent message and report it to the appropriate authorities. Your safety and privacy are our top priority.
"For any legitimate inquiries about our empowerment programmes, please contact us directly through our official channels.
"We advise beneficiaries of our programmes to always cross-check facts on the Commission’s official website: (www.nddc.gov.ng) and our authentic social media platforms."
The NDDC Youth Internship Scheme is targeted at providing relief to the teeming youths of the region whilst helping them attain skills and work experience.
The first batch of 10,000 beneficiaries will be provided a N50,000 monthly stipends for a duration of 12 months.
