Nigerian veteran actress, Patience Ozokwo has lamented on the rate at which scammers use her name to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
The Nollywood star took to her verified Instagram page to bemoan how some people use certain fake accounts to discredit genuine businesses.
According to the veteran actress, a group in France recently attacked her, claiming that she took a huge deposit from them for a business she actually knows nothing about.
Posting a picture of herself, Ozokwo wrote: “Why do people always try to discredit genuine businesses by creating fake accounts and duping people of their hard-earned money?
“I cannot count how many messages I have received about giveaways I’m doing on Facebook or other social media platforms. A while ago, I was vehemently attacked by a group in France who swore I signed a contract and took a huge deposit to do business with them – it certainly wasn’t me. To be honest, it is quite disheartening. Any brand I support is genuine. If they stop being genuine, I leave sharp sharp”.
Patience Ozokwo
Patience Ozokwo further speaking, apologized to anyone who might have fallen prey to such scammers. She advised the public to make their checks before getting involved in any business online.
“My apologies to all those who have been duped in my name. I have tried to close so many fake accounts -still trying. Please note that anything that sounds too good to be true is probably not true. Investigate before you invest. Check for real accounts and contacts”.
Patience Ozokwo
Following Patience Ozokwo’s post, several colleagues in the entertainment industry and her fans reacted to her post. Some revealed how they had faced a similar issue but got it resolved in no time.
@Egolin shared: “Honestly, it’s so disheartening… I had a nasty experience recently. I never shopped online in Nigeria really and the one time I did, I got duped 102k. Immediately I made the payment the #lostcultureng blocked me… the thing is, this guy, Mazogi Emmanuel Onyedikachukwu has several accounts with different banks. So, I have reported to the EFCC. It’s a nightmare sadly”.
@wardcalisa wrote: “This is not fair at all and very unsafe. Some people just enjoy the benefits of someone’s hard-earned reputation while tarnishing the image and reputation of the person”.
@davidzjoe shared: I stand with Mama. She is top-notch against online fraud. She’s got my backing to fight against all of this fraud happening in the country.
@namdi wrote: “Sorry you had to go through this Mama G. The police must be involved in this issue because this is absolutely criminal. The person impersonated you, extorted money in your name, and tarnished your reputation on top of it. Please Mama G, don’t let this person go free. Whoever it is or they are, must be arrested”.
@Bisola also wrote: “A similar thing happened to me and I had to report the page for it to be disabled. So many evildoers in the world who are lazy and not willing to work to earn their money”.
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