One click cost a co-founder ₦230,000. Now his team wants to help others verify a link before it costs them too.
What if there were a verified way to confirm the authenticity of a link in seconds before it costs you? Fake alerts and malicious links have become part of digital life, and according to the founder, that question is far from hypothetical. VigiVEND Technologies, co-founded by Mr. Moses Echoda, is building a solution. Mr. Echoda describes it as “an African trust gateway,” a platform that checks digital information before people act on it.
The Origin Story: One Click
The company started with a single click and the decision to make a change after a bad experience.
One of VigiVEND’s co-founders clicked on a malicious link, and as a result, about ₦230,000 was wiped from his account. He was understandably angry about the breach, but the team chose to tread a different path. According to Mr. Echoda, the group’s decision was, “We need to stop this,” and that decision shaped the name. VigiVEND gets its name from “vigilante” and “vendor.”
The wider problem is easy to recognize. As banking, payments, and business become increasingly digital, fake transaction alerts and malicious links have become prevalent. The founders believe people need a safe space where they can verify whether a link or piece of electronic information can be trusted before they click or act on it. VigiVEND Technologies is their attempt at creating that safe space.
Vision: Every Click Deserves to Be Verified
For VigiVEND, the vision is a trusted place to check digital information before acting on it. It is not an after-the-fact recovery service, and its focus is the moment before the click. It is still working towards a solution for people who have already clicked on a fraudulent link.
Several choices set the company apart:
- Built by Nigerians, for Nigerians: the product is designed to combat digital fraud in Nigeria and, by extension, Africa.
- It lives inside WhatsApp: most people are already familiar with the app, so there is nothing new to learn.
- A mobile app is coming: for people who are not on WhatsApp.
- It plans to look beyond WhatsApp: the team is looking at threats on Facebook and other platforms.
The VigiVEND team largely consists of polytechnic students and undergraduates, which Mr. Echoda is proud of.
A Full-Service Trust Gateway: What VigiVEND Does
VigiVEND Technologies is a Nigerian cybersecurity startup that helps people and businesses check the authenticity of links, SMS messages, screenshots, documents, and other digital content and verify whether it is real, fake, or suspicious as part of its measures towards digital fraud prevention.
For links, this includes link verification and phishing detection. Phishing is when fake addresses or texts are made to look legitimate in order to defraud people and steal their passwords or money. Its offerings include:
- WhatsApp bot: a user copies a suspicious link or pastes a screenshot of a doubtful SMS or bank alert into the chat, and the bot reports what it finds. It is currently free, and it doesn’t claim to be 100% accurate about every link.
- API (in development): a connection that allows banks, fintechs, and other organizations to build VigiVEND’s checks directly into their own systems. Mr. Echoda confirms it will be ready before the end of the month.
- Mobile app (in development): created to work like Grammarly or Truecaller, so checks happen in the background without the user asking.
What’s Next for VigiVEND Technologies
The company is working on its API, its mobile app, expansion beyond WhatsApp, and tools to help after a wrong click.
Early recognition suggests it is gaining traction. According to Mr. Echoda, VigiVEND was among 50 finalists chosen from thousands of applicants during an iDiCE program in Nigeria. It was also part of the 48 teams chosen from about 1,000 applicants for the Opay Innovation Challenge 2026, and it has pitched at a Defence Summit in Abuja hosted by the Ministry of Defence. VigiVEND was also chosen for the Idoma Hackathon 2026 later, where it hopes to win the top prize.
VigiVEND Technologies is a story with different chapters: a costly click, a decision not to stay angry but to make a change, and a team of student builders earning recognition across Nigeria.
Mr. Echoda’s advice to upcoming entrepreneurs is, “If you have an idea but you don’t have the resources, just start.” Start something. As you are in that process, what you need, the people you need, they will start coming.”
Contact VigiVEND Technologies.
Founder: Ochigbo Precious
Co-founder: Mr. Moses Echoda
Company: VigiVEND Technologies
Founded: June, 2026
Location: Port Harcourt, Rivers State
WhatsApp bot: https://wa.me/2348055494634
Phone/email: hello@vigivend.com
Website: https://vigivend.com
Twitter: https://x.com/VigiVend
Instagram: instagram.com/vigivendtech
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1PsgVPmKEN/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Services: Free WhatsApp verification bot; API for businesses and a mobile app coming soon
People who want to verify links before they click them can start with the bot. Organizations and businesses interested in integrating the API or partnering with the team can reach out directly.