💳 NIMC Alerts Nigerians to 5 Fraudulent Websites

Today’s Menu ☕️

💳 NIMC warns Nigerians of 5 fraudulent websites “harvesting” data
💰Cadana secures $7.1 million in seed funding to boost remittance services for African professionals
👁️ Worldcoin set to restart operations in Kenya after police drop data collection investigation
📱 TikTok scores legal victory as US Justice Department drops data privacy claim
🛰️ Starlink Mini brings space internet to backpackers

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💳 IDENTITY MANAGEMENT

NIMC warns Nigerians of 5 fraudulent websites “harvesting” Nigerians’ data

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a statement warning Nigerians of five websites purportedly involved in unauthorized data harvesting. The five websites are as follows:

• idfinder.com.ng;

• Verify.Ng/sign in,

• championtech.com.ng,

• trustyonline.com, and 

• anyverify.com

This press statement could be a fallout of an alarm raised by Paradigm Initiative stating that some unauthorised websites were claiming to hold and provide access to sensitive personal and financial data of Nigerian citizens for as little as 100 Naira. Two out of the five websites mentioned in the Paradigm Initiative report are among the five listed by NIMC.

However, NIMC maintains that “the data of Nigerians has not been compromised, and the Commission have not authorised any website or entity to sell or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the report.”...........continue reading

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💰FUNDING

Cadana secures $7.1 million in seed funding to boost remittance services for African professionals

Cadana, a fintech startup with a focus on emerging markets, has successfully completed a seed funding round, securing $7.1 million to enhance and expedite the process of remittances for African professionals. This financial injection is aimed at improving Cadana’s payroll services, which cater to international hiring platforms and financial institutions.

The seed funding round was spearheaded by Costanoa Ventures, with significant contributions from Better Tomorrow Ventures and 500 Startups. Since its inception in January 2021, Cadana has accumulated a total of $7.4 million in investment capital, which includes an initial $325,000 of pre-seed funding raised during the year of its establishment.....……continue reading

👁️ CRYPTOCURRENCY

Worldcoin set to restart operations in Kenya after police drop data collection investigation

Worldcoin is poised to recommence its activities in Kenya following the discontinuation of a police inquiry into accusations that the company was involved in the unauthorized gathering and exportation of user data. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kenya has issued a letter to Worldcoin’s legal representatives, stating that the investigation has been concluded without the need for further police intervention.

The DCI’s correspondence also advised Worldcoin to ensure compliance with local regulations by formally registering its business, securing the necessary permits, and conducting thorough background checks on its vendors to ensure responsible and prudent operations moving forward. The investigation by the DCI, which was carried out swiftly and impartially, examined various claims made in 2022 and 2023 regarding Worldcoin’s alleged illegal collection and distribution of sensitive personal data in Kenya.

Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency initiative spearheaded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has been engaged in the collection of biometric data, specifically by capturing images of individuals’ irises. In return for their participation, Kenyans were promised a monetary reward of Sh7,000 (approximately $52.83) and complimentary WorldCoin tokens..……continue reading

📱SOCIAL MEDIA

TikTok scores legal victory as US Justice Department drops data privacy claim

The US Justice Department is streamlining its legal approach against TikTok, the popular video-sharing platform owned by ByteDance, by withdrawing one of its two planned claims. The focus will now be on a forthcoming consumer protection lawsuit centered on violations of children’s privacy, rather than on accusations that TikTok misrepresented the security of user data.

The lawsuit, which is being prepared on behalf of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) following their investigation, is expected to be filed later this year. Sources familiar with the internal discussions, who requested anonymity, revealed that the FTC’s referral to the Justice Department contained two parts.

The Justice Department has decided to forgo the part of the complaint that accuses TikTok of deceiving US consumers about the potential access of Beijing-based ByteDance employees to their personal and financial information. Instead, the DOJ will pursue claims that TikTok breached the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which prohibits the collection of data from children under 13 without parental consent....…....continue reading

🔐 CYBERCRIME

Starlink Mini brings space internet to backpackers

SpaceX’s Starlink internet-from-space service is already available for boats, planes, vanlifers, Amazonian villages, and rural homes in over 75 countries — now it’s coming to backpackers.

The new compact DC-powered Starlink Mini is about the size of a thick laptop and integrates the Wi-Fi router right inside the dish. And despite using less power than other Starlink terminals, it can still deliver speeds over 100Mbps....…....continue reading

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