The WhatsApp account of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Hon. Barr. Ola Wilson Diriwari, has reportedly been compromised, with members of the public warned against responding to financial requests from the account.
The development has raised concerns among his contacts after an individual allegedly gained access to the account and began sending messages requesting financial assistance.
In one of the messages circulating, the sender asked a contact to assist with the transfer of ₦295,000, claiming that an attempt to transfer money to another person was unsuccessful.
The sender subsequently supplied bank account details in the name of Iko Timothy with Wema Bank and promised to refund the money “first thing tomorrow morning.”
The recipient was also asked to send evidence of the transaction after the purported transfer.
However, a warning issued by the Peoples Democratic Party Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Kabiru Adewale Adebiyi and associates of Diriwari urged members of the public to disregard such requests, stressing that his WhatsApp account had been compromised.
The notice specifically warned people against sending money, transferring funds or providing one-time passwords (OTPs) and other personal information through the compromised account.
“DO NOT SEND MONEY,” the notice stated, while urging members of the public to help circulate the warning to prevent unsuspecting contacts from falling victim to the suspected scam.
The notice further disclosed that Diriwari was working to recover control of his WhatsApp account.
The incident has once again highlighted the growing risk of social-media account compromises being used to impersonate individuals and solicit money from their contacts.
Members of the public who receive unusual financial requests purportedly from Diriwari are advised to independently verify such requests through a trusted channel before taking any action. Until the recovery of the account is confirmed, contacts are advised to treat financial or sensitive-information requests originating from the compromised WhatsApp account with caution.
