Popular Nollywood Actor Deza The Great Loses $2,500 to Fake Road Safety SMS Scam

• Nollywood actor and former banker Deza The Great lost $2,500 after clicking a fraudulent SMS link disguised as an official Road Safety traffic fine notice
• The actor said he entered his card details and completed payment, believing the message was legitimate, only to discover his account had been debited afterwards
• He shared the experience publicly to warn others about the growing wave of phishing scams and urged people to avoid clicking unfamiliar links sent via text or email

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Nollywood actor and filmmaker Deza The Great, real name Adekanla Aderinola Desalu, has lost $2,500 to an online scam after clicking on a fraudulent SMS link designed to look like an official traffic fine notice.

Desalu, a former banker who spent years at Sterling Bank before turning to filmmaking full-time in 2023, has appeared in over 150 movies, including Big Love, Hell & Fury, and Two Captains.

The popular Nollywood actor shared his experience on Instagram in a video that has since drawn widespread reaction.

Deza The Great recounts how he fell for scam

In the video, Deza The Great explained that he received a text message that appeared to be from Nigeria's road safety authority, similar to previous legitimate messages he had used before to pay traffic fines.

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He said:

"Unfortunately, it was a fake link that I clicked on."

He recounted that the message claimed he had exceeded a speed limit, prompting him to click the link and enter his card details, believing he was settling a routine fine.

Deza The Great mentioned the incident to a colleague at work, who assured him such messages were common and legitimate.

It was only after returning home that he discovered his account had been debited $2,500.

He said he immediately blocked his cards and reported the incident to his bank, but the funds were already gone.

Describing himself as particularly cautious about fraud given his banking background, he admitted he still missed the warning signs this time.

Deza The Great's video is below.

Deza The Great warns fans, urges caution online

Deza The Great said he chose to make the experience public so others could learn from it and avoid falling victim to similar scams.

He added:

"I lost a lot of money yesterday, really sad, it's very painful."

The video, shared by Instagram user dezathegreat, was captioned with a plea for authorities, including the FRSC, LASTMA and the Lagos State Government, to help clarify what authentic fine notices look like and share tips for spotting fraudulent messages.

The post urged followers not to click on any links received via SMS or email without first verifying their authenticity.

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Source: YEN.com.gh