How to Identify Fake N-Power E-mail Address

Security Tips on How to identify FAKE N-Power E-mail Address

Disclaimer:
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Your N-Power log-in details
Your NPVN data
Your Biometric Verification Number (BVN)
Your Personal Identification Number (PIN)
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Personal information related to your financial institution(s). Check our Privacy Policy for details.

N-Power Job Recruitment Programme is the largest government empowerment initiative ever in Nigeria and on the African continent, so you must be wary of whom you communicate with. Since the commencement of N-Power Programme, "phishers" "scammers" and fraudulent individuals have been on rampage to get personal and financial details of some applicants. Their aim is to use such details to defraud applicants who are not well informed about the legitimate E-mail addresses and websites of Npower Nigeria.

We put this together on how to identify scam N-power Email addresses.

Example of fake N-power Email

Sample of fake N-power email address are:

1) npower2017.helpdesk @gmail.com

2) npower_ng @gmail.com

3) npower-ng @yahoo.com

4) npowerng @hotmail.com etc

5) applynpower@gmail.com

All the above email addresses are Fake because the extension @gmail.com, @yahoo.com and @Hotmail.com are generic and are not and can never be operated by a government job initiative portal, which has custom URL.

Every government custom URL comes with custom email addresses.

Example of custom URL is www.npower.gov.ng

With the above custom N-Power Nigeria URL, all its valid email addresses will end the extension npower.gov.ng

Valid N-power Email addresses

1) info@npower.gov.ng

2) apply2017@npower.gov.ng  

3) support@npvn.desk-mail.com (meant for N-power Volunteer Network, NPVN )

Please disregard any unsolicited email that asks for your N-power login details, it might be a Spear Phishing after all.

So what is spear phishing?

According Global Sign,

"Spear phishing is a type of phishing and generally involves a dedicated attack against an individual or an organization. The spear is referring to a spear hunting style of attack."

The kind of phishing from 419 during this recruitment exercise include, but not limited to, impersonating N-power by posing as agents, or posing as potential helper.

If you look at the fake email addresses listed above you find out that npowerng is used to make it look like its created by N-power dedicated job application portal. Sometimes you're persuaded to re-enter your credentials on a certain site, or one from NPOWER Team promising to resolve your NPOWER problems.

We the potential attack by fraudsters, let's take a look at precautions you could take.

Here are 10 tips to help you identify fake N-power email.

Note:
We adapted this tips from Return Path

NpowerNG Email Security Tips 1: Don’t trust the display name

One of the evergreen tactics used by cybercriminals and 419 is to design message display name as if it is from the original website.

Advice:
Check the sender of any Npower communication you get before clicking on any link inserted into the message.

"This fraudulent email, once delivered, appears legitimate because most user inboxes only present the display name. Don’t trust the display name. Check the email address in the header from—if looks suspicious, don’t open the email.'--Return Path.

Npower Email Security Tip 2: Eager to look but be reluctant to click

If you're opening an email through your gmail app or yahoo app, don't click on the short URL or strange link in the email, click on "VIEW DETAILS" to see the full address of the sender.

If you're using desktop or laptop, "Hover your mouse on any links embedded in the body of the email."

Advice:
If the link address looks strange, don’t click on it, ignore it.

NpowerNG Email Security Tip 3: Look out for spelling mistakes

NPOWER Nigeria doesn't have grammatical spelling error in its email addresses.

What the 419 does is makes their spelling similar.

NpowerNG Email Safety Tip 4: Analyze the salutation

Generic salutation is common to phishing email.

Npower already has your details, as such we don't expected it to address you as "Dear Applicants " legitimate npower email from it will often use a personal salutation with your first and last name.

Email Safety Tip 5: Don’t give up personal information

Since your bank verification number is one of the requirements of npower, 419 might pose as Npower Official, thereby dubiously getting your BVN, card details at a time like this when some applicants are facing payment problem.

Npower Programme Safety Tip 6: Beware of urgency

If you get any email that says "you must reply within 1hours" steer clear, N-power will never use such tone of urgency.

Npower Nigeria Security Tip 7: Review contact details

If the contact details contradict what is on the official website, social media channels of NPOWER ignore and delete such email.

NpowerNG Email Safety Tip 8: Don’t click on attachments

Npower Nigeria rarely sends attachment. Everything you need to know is on its portal.

Email safety Tip 9: Don’t trust the logo

Logo of Npower Nigeria is all over the internet, please don't be lured by the logo.

It could be used by dubious people.

NpowerNG Email Safety tip 10: Follow Npower Nigeria on the social

NpowerNG is on all the popular social media communication channel, follow it in order to have first-hand information.

419 tries to capitalize on your ignorance, be informed, join Good groups, don't drop your personal details on public forum

References

1) Global Sign

2) Return Path

3) NpowerNG Solutions

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