We have recently been inundated with emails and phone calls, seeking confirmation of business propositions, enquiries and Centre for Petroleum Information (CPI) a liaison office/center for oil companies and government made to individuals within and outside Nigeria by some people claiming to work for, or affiliated with Centre for Petroleum Information (CPI).

We wish to point out that whatever form these mails or calls take, they are nonetheless the footprints of scam artists, who once they perceive a whiff of interest on the part of their intended victims, will proceed to request of huge sums of money, ostensibly to bribe relevant ‘officials’ in Nigeria, in order to facilitate the money transfer. 

Centre for Petroleum Information (CPI) whose official website is www.petroinfonigeria.com and address is 8th Floor, ICON House, Idejo Street, Off Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island – Lagos is not in any way connected with these individuals or groups.

Members of the public that receive mails or calls from anyone except Centre for Petroleum Information (CPI) employees does so at his/her own risk. All correspondences from and to Centre for Petroleum Information (CPI) would come only from the address on our contact page. Any form of correspondence with other companies, both public and private, are carried out by Centre for Petroleum Information (CPI) directly, and not through a proxy, nor does Centre for Petroleum Information (CPI) serve as a proxy for any other organization.

We therefore wish to dissociate ourselves from any such mails, and to advise the public to do the following:

• Do not respond to unsolicited business propositions and/or offers from people you are unfamiliar with.
• Do not disclose your personal/financial details to anyone you do not know.
• Report any such propositions to - your local law enforcement agencies, or the Nigerian Embassy in your country. In addition, refer such mails to your country’s Embassy/High Commission in Nigeria for investigation

Finally, for scam mails purportedly emanating from or related to Centre for Petroleum Information (CPI), please contact CPI Secretariat at the address specified on our website.

Please apply the following checklist to mail purportedly received from any “official of the CPI”:

• Authenticate every contract document by conducting a due diligence and proper verification through CPI offices.
• If in doubt about the authenticity of any communication received, contact CPI secretariat.
• Be wary of individuals who contact you by email representing themselves as CPI or Government officials.
• Beware when asked to assist in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts and do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
• Do not reply to emails asking for personal banking information and guard your account information carefully.
• Visit the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission website to learn more about combating financial and economic crimes in Nigeria.
• Be alert and remember fraudulent malpractice in whatever form or device is investigated by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which is in collaboration with the US CIA, FBI and the UK MI4 as well as Interpol.