FACT-CHECK: Viral Message Linked to UBA, Mandating Account Verification Online, Turned Phishing

BY: Amarachukwu Callistus 

Claim:

A broadcast message directed to Nigerians and allegedly linked to the United Bank for Africa (UBA) widely circulating on WhatsApp and SMS has emerged. 

The viral message claimed that the financial institution has detected an issue with customers’ account transactions, directing them to verify their identity within 24 hours via an attached link. This, the message further claimed, is to avoid full restriction on user accounts.

Verdict:

FALSE. Investigation conducted by FactCheckAfrica showed that the message is deceptive and the link is suspected of a phishing scam, an operation where unsuspecting individuals were directed to unsafe destinations for dubious reasons.

This message did not originate from UBA. It is a fraudulent phishing attempt designed to steal customers’ banking credentials.

 Full Text: 

On Tuesday, 13th October, a message carrying a deep sense of urgency allegedly from UBA was virally sent to many Nigerians through their mobile phones, directing them to verify their identity.

The message carried in full: “We noticed an issue with your account transactions. Kindly verify your identity within 24 hours to avoid full restriction on your account.” 

This latest message is not an isolated incident. Recall that a pattern like this formed part of continuous and sustained phishing campaigns targeting Nigerians, especially bank customers, where con artists impersonate Nigerian banks in perpetration of fraudulent activities.

These scammers use phrases like “issue with your account,” “within 24 hours,” “avoid full restriction,” to sow discord, fear, and a sense of urgency among their victims.

The recent case in question registered lookalike domains that contain “ubagroup” to appear legitimate. With a similar domain already in use, this new one carried (ubagroup.it.com/nigeria/).

UBA’s Security Centre clearly states on its website that phishing is an internet scam (spoof) in the form of an email or pop-up box. The emails and pop-ups link to sites that look like well-known legitimate businesses and ask users to provide and confirm personal, financial, or password information. It further says legitimate businesses do not ask for this information unless you initiate a request… 

It therefore requested “Please DO NOT RESPOND to these emails requesting personal identity, accounts or password information.” Customers are directed to forward suspicious emails to cfc@ubagroup.com, the warning added.

It warned users  “Do not click suspicious links or follow instructions from unexpected messages. STOP. VERIFY. STAY SAFE.”

The domain in this current viral claim, http://ubagroup.it.com, follows the exact same pattern UBA warned about. It is not an official domain.

 Verification:

FactCheckAfrica conducted a drill on the link which redirected us to a cloned UBA internet banking page requesting sensitive data such as Internet Banking ID, Password, Bank Verification Number (BVN), Card Number, Expiry Date, CVV, and Transaction PIN. This personal information, if given out, would be used for unauthorized fund transfers and identity theft.

To further establish the dubious nature of this claim, this reporter came across an official awareness graphic from UBA, published on Monday 12th October, as captured on the bank’s verified Facebook page.

The post, supported with a flyer, was titled “Beware of Fake Websites” and captioned: “Scammers may create fake websites designed to look like official websites.”

The post further listed known fake domains such as (https://ubagroups.xyz/), (https://ubagroup.my.id/), (https://ubahelp.eu.cc/), (https://ubagroup.web.id/).

The graphic flyer as displayed on UBA’s Facebook page 

Furthermore, FactCheck Africa subjected the link to domain verification tools, online tools that flag suspicious websites. We found that the circulated link does not carry the same domain as UBA’s official website (http://www.ubagroup.com).

Our findings revealed that (http://ubagroup.it.com) is not owned, registered, or operated by UBA. However, the link is registered on 13th October, 2026, and to expire on 14th October, 2027. Also, the link is registered under the name “GNAME.COM PTE LTD,” with a phone number “+65.65189986”. 

The fake address name, foreign registration number, and the new registration date, are methods used by fraudsters to hide their true identity while creating a website.

A screenshot portion of the website creation and expiration.

A screenshot portion of the Registrar name of the website 

FactCheckAfrica further combed UBA’s official website, verified Facebook page, X (formerly Twitter) handle, and Instagram account as of October 14th 2026. We found no press release, circular, or post instructing customers to verify their accounts. 

Conclusion

The claim that UBA is mandating account verification as directed by the viral message is completely false. Multiple investigations conducted by this reporter showed that the message is a phishing scam. 

The official evidence from UBA itself proves that such domains are fake websites designed to defraud customers. Members of the public are directed to disregard, delete, and report the message.