The safest way to spot a fake NIMC site is to check three things before you type your NIN or pay anyone: the web address, the price and the promise.
NIMC warns against look-alike sites because of the identity-theft risk. Here is how to test any site, agent or message. It is one of our NIN and NIMC guides.
Check the web address
These are the NIMC addresses used in this article.
- The self-service portal for data changes: selfservicemodification.nimc.gov.ng.
- NINAuth, NIMC's identity app: ninauth.nimc.gov.ng, with listings on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
- The fees page: nimc.gov.ng/fees.
All three sit on the nimc.gov.ng domain. Treat an address on any other domain as unconfirmed until you have checked it against these. Type the address yourself. Do not tap a link from a text, a chat or a social post.
NIMC's own notice on its self-service portal names the first address and warns against unauthorised look-alike sites.
Check the price
NIMC's fees changed on 2 May 2025. Compare any quote with these figures.
| Service | NIMC fee |
|---|---|
| Standard enrolment | free |
| Date of birth correction | ₦28,574 |
| Another field, such as name or address | ₦2,000 |
A different price is not always a scam. It may be an old figure from an out-of-date guide, or a service that adds its own fee. For example, the date of birth fee was ₦16,340 before that date, so a quote near that figure may come from an old guide.
A service that adds a fee of its own should show it separately from NIMC's, so ask which is which before you pay. The government fees tool lists NIMC's charges next to other agencies.
Check the promise
Some promises should stop you.
- "Enrolment costs money." Standard enrolment is free. Legit.ng has reported NIMC saying that enrolment is free at approved centres and that any demand for payment is illegal. See is NIN enrolment free.
- "We can change your date of birth again." NIMC allows a date of birth change only once. TechCabal reports that a payment for a later change is not refunded and the change is not made.
- "Send the money to a personal account." Ask for a receipt from a business, and think twice if you cannot get one.
If a service offers to use the portal for you, ask who will hold the login and what happens if it locks. NIMC ties a self-service account to the same device and browser used to create the account, so an account created on someone else's device may be hard for you to use.
Check the app and the message
Install NINAuth only from its Google Play or Apple App Store listing. Check that NIMC is the publisher before you enter any identity detail.
A message that pushes you to pay or click today is a red flag. If you only need a forgotten NIN, dial *346# from the phone number linked to your NIN instead of trusting a link.
If you have already paid or shared your details
- Stop entering details.
- Screenshot the site, the address bar and any receipt.
- Tell your bank if you paid by card or transfer.
- Contact NIMC and say what you shared.
- Do not pay a second person to "recover" the first payment.
Common mistakes
- Trusting a site because it looks right. NIMC warns against unauthorised look-alike sites, so check the address first.
- Paying an old fee because the guide was out of date. The figures above date from 2 May 2025.
- Posting your NIN slip in a group chat. Share it only with the body that needs it.
- Confusing a filing service with NIMC. Docufy is an independent filing service, not NIMC. It collects your details in the right format, a vetted partner firm files a NIN modification, and NIMC decides it.