Published 9th Dec, 2024

By Abimbola Abatta

In August, Nigerian journalist Kadaria Ahmed called attention to misleading articles and Facebook posts about her. These posts targeted unsuspecting social media users, luring them into fake cryptocurrency trading platforms.

Ahmed’s post on her Facebook page on August 27 reads: “Dear friends, it has become necessary to once again say please, ignore all of the fake news about me making the rounds. So many of you continue to be concerned and keep calling me to check what’s going on.

“I am fine and well, Alhamdullilah. I am not being sued by the CBN or anything. I am not in prison in America etc. The pieces of fake news making the rounds about me as shown in these links are only designed to make you buy fake crypto. Kindly ignore.”

Three months after her disclaimer against scammers, a suspicious cryptocurrency trading platform, Arcane Trade, has emerged with the same tactic.

On November 25, Arcane Trade used a Facebook page called SheMentor Wellness to create a sponsored post with the caption, “We say goodbye to Kadaria Ahmed, the saddest day for Nigeria.”

The post has garnered over 2,500 likes and about 100 comments.

FIJ is aware that Facebook pages like this create sponsored posts, alleging the death of known figures. Sometimes, they put up doctored pictures that suggest a popular face is being sued or imprisoned for a purported crime.

Alongside the posts, they would add links to articles leading to websites with strange URLs despite having the banners of news platforms such as Vanguard and The Punch.

The link attached to the post by SheMentor Wellness leads to “fly.direct.com” yet it bore a banner of Vanguard. The link contains an article that claims the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has sued Ahmed over statements she made on live television.

Checking through the article, FIJ found that it is nothing but a tactic to make people invest in the Arcane Trade platform. It promises that investors will make a million in 12 to 15 weeks if they invest $300.

A link to this trading platform is also embedded in the article. When one clicks it, one is directed to a page that says, “You can earn $780 to $1800 per day.”

Scrolling down the page, one will find comments reportedly made by popular business owners like Folorunsho Alakija, Femi Otedola and Jim Ovia purported to have successfully traded on the platform.

Comments reportedly made by popular figures like Folorunsho Alakija, Femi Otedola, and Jim Ovia purported to have traded on the platform.

FIJ found an article dated December 5, also parroting the claim that the CBN had sued Ahmed for her remarks on live TV.

In October, FIJ reported how a Facebook page called “Cafe Pedacito de Cielo” was spreading disinformation about Seun Okinbaloye, a presenter with Channels TV.

The script was the same as that of Arcane Trade. The only difference is the name of the trading platform, which is SpectraX. Both platforms promised users at least $780 daily.

Share on Social Media