BVNs, NINs, Other Private Information Of Nigerians Available On AnyVerify For Just N100

BVNs, NINs, Other Private Information Of Nigerians Available On AnyVerify For Just N100....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Written By Oshiobugie John

In a startling revelation, private website AnyVerify has been found selling sensitive Nigerian identification data, including bank verification numbers (BVNs), for a mere N100. This comes only three months after the exposure of XpressVerify, another site trading Nigerian data.

The Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a digital rights group, announced on Thursday its intention to seek legal action on behalf of Nigerians affected by this breach of data privacy. Vindich Legal, PIN’s legal partners, have issued a pre-action notice to various governmental agencies including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), among others.

The legal notice demands the federal government to:

• Declare the unauthorized access and commercialization of Nigerian citizens’ data by AnyVerify.com.ng as a violation of Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (CFRN).
• Affirm that under Sections 30 and 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023, government agencies must ensure the security and integrity of citizens’ sensitive personal data.
• Mandate a thorough investigation and publication of findings regarding the data leak to AnyVerify.com.ng.
• Direct government agencies to release information about the activities of their agents and sub-licensees.
• Provide compensation to those affected by the data breach.

“Following the XpressVerify incident, further research revealed that AnyVerify.com.ng has been operating in Nigeria’s digital space since November 2023,” PIN stated. “AnyVerify.com.ng offers a range of data services, including NIN, BVN, virtual NIN, driving licenses, international passports, company details, TIN, PVC, and phone numbers. These are sold for N100 per request. The site received over 567,990 visits in February 2024 and 188,360 in April 2024.”

According to Semrush, AnyVerify ranked among the top 3,400 websites in Nigeria with at least 68,000 visits in May. Despite the public outcry following FIJ’s exposé in March, NIMC has yet to list AnyVerify as a licensed partner on its website. Calls and messages to NDPC and NIMC have gone unanswered, leaving many questions about the security of citizens’ data.

The public awaits further actions from the authorities as the issue of data privacy continues to escalate in Nigeria.