Access Bank
Access Bank has launched a financial crime awareness campaign aimed at teaching Nigerian students how to identify scams, avoid financial crimes and respond to suspicious requests.
The initiative, tagged ‘Spot the Scam’, will equip young people with knowledge to recognise manipulation and develop safe digital and financial habits as their use of smartphones, social media and online platforms increases.
The bank said fraudsters increasingly target young people through fake giveaways, free data or airtime, gaming rewards, fake job and scholarship offers, celebrity impersonation, account verification messages, investment opportunities and fake winning notifications.
The campaign, which will run until December 2026, comprises nationwide financial crime education for students and a debate competition for public and private secondary schools in Lagos State.
Speaking at the launch in Lagos, Chief Conduct and Compliance Officer, Access Bank, Solomon Abiakalam, said the initiative was driven by concerns over the increasing involvement of young Nigerians in financial crimes.
He recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested 792 young people in Victoria Island on December 10, 2024, at a building operating as a technology business. He said the suspects were allegedly involved in romance scams, hacking and money laundering targeting victims overseas.
Abiakalam said Access Bank had controls to prevent illicit funds from moving through its systems, but was also taking the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing upstream through education.
He said the objective was to help young people understand financial crimes and avoid becoming victims or perpetrators.
Head, Regulatory and Financial Crime Compliance at Access Bank, Inyang Etim, said preventing financial crimes required the involvement of schools, parents, banks, telecommunications companies and government.
Head, SME Banking, Access Bank, Abiodun Olubitan, said fraudsters often lure children through online games, small rewards, recharge cards and fake celebrity profiles.
She urged students to stop, think and verify whenever a message makes them excited, frightened or pressured to act immediately.
The debate competition is open to public and private secondary schools in Lagos, with participating schools expected to submit entry videos by September 30, 2026.
