have not only gained access to the website and Twitter page belonging to former
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, they are using both platforms for
fortune-telling.
The
criminals have also posted messages in Japanese on the platforms, saying, “I
want to fulfil the unrequited love! Introducing love with 100 per cent hit.
Love fortune-telling site.”
While
drawing the attention of members of the public to the development, through a
statement issued by his Special adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, Fashola
said the Twitter account must have been compromised on Friday.
The
former governor had previously dissociated himself from Facebook accounts
opened and operated in his name. He had warned that the unknown hackers planned
to dupe unsuspecting members of the public through the accounts.
The
criminals behind the Saturday incident also said they wanted to help their
clients know the compatibility status of their love affairs and how successful
they would be in the future. Their messages border on divination.
Although
the hackers published on brfashola.com (obviously a cloned site), the post links of their articles to
Fashola’s Twitter handle, his website – tundefashola.com – was not hacked.
What
looks like an advert on the website says, “Your fate can be seen in three
steps! Your charm is flowering! First, let’s fortune your destiny in the first
free appraisal. Truth of love and destiny. Features of love and destiny of
truth! Consultation on the fortune-teller is not bothering alone! There should
be the clue also always solve troubles in everyday life! (sic).”
In
the translated text, the hackers claim they can foretell the future and “life
chronology” by means of magic numbers, palm reading and other methods that have
proved their efficacy.
They
warn their targets against taking any risk except they “future-tell” the
outcome. According to them, they can help those who are in love confirm the
authenticity and the outcome of their relationship, as well as carry out a
general compatibility test. Other areas covered by the posts tweeted on
Fashola’s handle are contract, business and power.
Fashola
is one out of many individuals or corporate organisations whose digital
platforms – Facebook page, Twitter account, email address and telephone lines –
have been hacked in recent times. The website of the Independent National
Electoral Commission was hacked during the last general election. The hackers
said they wanted to prove that security was but an illusion.
Hacking
is one of many challenges that politicians, corporate leaders and celebrities
are currently grappling with. Identity theft, perhaps, is the most challenging
Internet-associated problem that users face nowadays.
Ebonyi
State Governor, David Umahi; his Lagos State counterpart, Akinwunmi Ambode;
wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christians Church of God, Mrs.
Folu Adeboye and several other individuals had, at one time or the other, had
an encounter with cyber criminals this year.
Some
of these individuals had to raise an alarm, informing the public of the
challenge to save their reputation. For one, Mrs. Adeboye, had gone to Facebook
this year to disclaim an imposter using her name for financial gain.
“I
wish to bring to your notice one Pastor Folu Adeboye scamming a lot of innocent
Nigerians on Facebook by taking advantage of the fact that many people are
looking for spiritual blessings. This person is pretending to be Pastor (Mrs.)
Folu Adeboye, the wife of the G.O. of the RCCG.
“This
came to my attention when he/she defrauded a colleague of mine, claiming God
sent him/her to deliver a message to her. He/she asked my colleague to ‘sow a
seed’, which means to pay some money into an account. My colleague fell for
it,” she posted.
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