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The short answer
A good fraud statement is a dated, signed, first-person account in time order: who contacted you, what you were told, what you did, and every transaction with its amount, time, reference and receiving account. Attach your evidence as numbered annexures, state exactly what you are asking for, and never write down a PIN, password, OTP or full card number. The CBN's complaints page lists the same core details it expects in an escalated complaint.
Why the statement matters more than people think
After a fraud, the same story gets told many times: to your bank's fraud desk, to the police, perhaps to the EFCC or the National Cybercrime Centre, and later to the CBN if the bank does not resolve it. Each of those offices works from paper. A short, consistent, well-ordered statement is often what decides whether an investigator can trace the money quickly, because the receiving accounts and references are easy to find instead of buried in a long message.
Write it once, carefully, and reuse it. If later you remember something new, add a dated supplementary statement rather than rewriting the first one. Two versions that disagree on an amount or a time give the other side something to argue about.
The structure that works
- Heading. "Statement of [full name] concerning [unauthorised transfers / a scam] on [date]".
- Your details. Full name, address, phone number, email, and the bank and account the money left. The CBN's complaints page asks for name, address, phone, email, the institution and your banking details, and warns never to include a PIN or password.
- Short summary. Three or four lines: what happened, the total lost, and when you first reported it.
- Timeline. Numbered paragraphs in time order, each starting with a date and time.
- Transaction table. One row per debit (see below).
- What you have done since. Calls to the bank, ticket numbers, police or portal reports and their reference numbers.
- What you are asking for. For example: trace and freeze the receiving accounts, reverse or refund the debits, investigate the account holders.
- List of annexures. Each piece of evidence labelled A, B, C.
- Declaration and signature. "I confirm that the facts in this statement are true to the best of my knowledge", your signature and the date.
The transaction table
Investigators look for this first. Take the details from your bank statement or app history, not from memory.
| Date and time | Amount (₦) | Channel | Receiving bank and account | Reference / session ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 2026, 19:42 | 150,000 | App transfer | [bank], [account number], [name shown] | [as on receipt] |
| 14 Oct 2026, 19:51 | 85,000 | App transfer | [bank], [account number], [name shown] | [as on receipt] |
| Total | 235,000 |
A worked example of the timeline
This example shows the tone to aim for: plain facts, exact times, no guesswork presented as fact.
- On 14 October 2026 at about 19:30, I received a call from 0803 XXX XXXX. The caller said he was from my bank's fraud unit and that my account would be blocked unless I confirmed a code.
- At 19:38 I received a text message containing a code. I read the code to the caller. I now understand this was a mistake.
- At 19:42 and 19:51, two transfers I did not make left my account (see table).
- At 20:05 I called my bank's official line from the number on the back of my card and asked for the account to be blocked. I was given ticket number [ ].
- At 21:10 I filed a report on the police cybercrime portal and received reference [ ].
Notice that paragraph two admits the code was shared. Leaving that out is tempting, but the bank's logs will show how the transfers were authorised, and an honest account of your own part is more credible than a statement the records contradict.
The evidence list
- Bank statement or app history covering the day, with the disputed debits marked.
- Screenshots of calls (call log with numbers and times), texts, WhatsApp chats, emails and any links you were sent. Keep the originals on your phone; do not crop out the sender or the time.
- Transfer receipts and any receipts the fraudster sent you.
- Ticket numbers, emails and letters from your bank.
- Police, EFCC or NCCC report references.
- A copy of a valid ID, if the office asks for one.
The police National Cybercrime Centre runs an online reporting portal; when it was relaunched in May 2024 the police said it had improved tracking of reports, so keep the reference it gives you and quote it in every later letter.
What not to include
- PINs, passwords, OTPs, token codes, full card numbers or CVVs, even for cards that are now blocked.
- Guesses written as facts. Write "I believe" or "I do not know" where that is the truth.
- Insults, threats or accusations against named staff without evidence.
- Edited screenshots. If you must hide another person's details, say so and keep an unedited copy.
- Amounts that do not match the statement. Recheck every figure before you sign.
Timing: report first, polish later
Do not hold back the first report while you perfect the statement. A CBN draft framework on authorised push payment fraud, reported by TechCabal in December 2025, proposed that customers report within 72 hours and that banks acknowledge within 24 hours; the final rules and their start date were not confirmed when we checked in October 2026. Whatever the final version says, money moves fast, so call the bank first and send the written statement within a day or two.
For the full first-hour checklist, see what to do after bank fraud, and for the police side, reporting to the NPF-NCCC online.
Where Pryme fits
A statement is only as strong as the records behind it. Pryme customers can generate a regular or a verifiable statement or receipt through our partnership with VerifyDoc.ai, and anyone receiving a verifiable one can check it is genuine and unaltered. See receipts and statements and how we protect sign-in on the security page.
Questions people ask
Who do I write a fraud statement to in Nigeria?
Address it to the office handling the case: your bank's fraud or customer service unit first, then the police division, the NPF National Cybercrime Centre or the EFCC. Use the same content for each and change only the heading.
Should I admit that I gave the scammer my OTP?
Yes. Say what happened plainly. The bank's records will show how the transfer was authorised, and a statement that matches the records is more credible.
Do I need a lawyer to write a statement to the police?
No. You can write it yourself. A lawyer can help if the amount is large or you plan to go to court, but a clear first-person account is what the police need.
What evidence should I attach to a fraud report?
Your statement of account, screenshots of calls, messages and links, transfer receipts, bank ticket numbers and any report references, each labelled as an annexure.
Sources
- CBN: Complaints Management (Consumer Protection Department) · accessed Oct 2026
- TechCabal: CBN draft rules on bank fraud refunds (2 Dec 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Techeconomy: Nigeria Police launches platform for reporting cybercrime (31 May 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.