The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has ordered fintech company, Opay to explain account anomalies Nigerians have identified in the last few days.

As a fintech company, OPay uses users’ mobile numbers as their account numbers because it is a regulated mobile money provider. However, it is not yet obvious how individuals who have not contacted the business to register an account are seeing their number as an OPay account with their full identities.

Recall that social media platform X, is awashed with complaints by Nigerians who claimed their names and phone numbers were used to open an Opay account, without them actually opening the account with the company.

Sharing his ordeal, an X user, @hackSultan wrote, “just checked now and someone, I have an Opay account, same with every member of my family. None of us has ever opened an Opay account. How’s this even legal?”

Another X user, @0sadebame tried this and confirmed that there is an OPay account for her two lines. “It’s quite a discovery. Both my lines have an OPay account registered to them. I’ve never used Opay before, she said.

@Lost_DWTBF, also confirmed this anomaly, when he tweeted that, “I just checked mine and is the same. @OPay_NG, is there a reason why my number is registered when I have never?”

Others were inspired by this to look up their phone number.

You can accomplish this by attempting to send money from another bank app, choosing OPay as the receiving bank, and using your phone number instead of the first “0” digit as the account number.

In his reaction, the chief executive officer, FCCPC, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, called on OPay to explain how this is happening and promised to provide an update.

“OPAY is bound to @fccpcnigeria to address and explain this and other anomalies consumers have identified in the last few days,” he said in his X post while responding to posts on the issue.

Meanwhile, Opay, in its reaction, said: “We are now analysing what happened internally after seeing these tweets yesterday. We ensure that all wallet owners are properly registered. It’s possible that some users have interacted with the platform at some point; but, before we answer, I need to hear from my colleagues and review the results of our inquiry.”

Source: https://leadership.ng/fccpc-orders-opay-to-address-account-anomalies/

Opay Reacts:

OPay is safe & Secure 🔐, Your funds and accounts are safe with OPay ALWAYS! Kindly ignore fake news and posts.

Thank you for trusting OPay.

@OPay_NG

DISCLAIMER!

Dear esteemed customer,

Our attention has been drawn to a video that resurfaced on some social media platforms (TikTok, Twitter & WhatsApp) regarding alleged fraudulent activities on some OPay Agent accounts. This incident occurred over 2 years ago (August 23, 2021) and we took the right and appropriate actions with the relevant stakeholders to resolve the stated issues.
From that point onward, we have periodically educated and sensitized our customers about account data security, encouraging them not to fall victim to malicious information, fraud, and scams.

In order to further protect our users, we have taken significant measures to protect customer data and accounts by continuously upgrading our security system and adding extra layers of security measures such as BVN verification, and Face ID verification. Furthermore, we also provide 24-hour Customer Service to help our customers resolve any issue. We implore our customers and the general public to disregard the video and its content and beware of individuals and groups of people who peddle wrong information.

We wish to reiterate our unwavering commitment to protecting our users from fraudulent activity or scams as customer data protection is our priority. OPay is a leading digital payment platform licensed by the CBN and insured by NDIC with over 40m users, 500,000 agents, and 150,000 merchants in Nigeria and remains committed to providing the best service and user experience to its valued customers.

Signed: Management

@OPay_NG

Make I go find time make I open Opay account.
I hear say dem dey dash person money and their data dey cheap.
Prob is my Church mind dey always guild me say anything wen free na Scam and na why I never open Opay be that.

But no lele, I hope I go get their time, make I Atleast join the awoof small.

I pray that all this Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) will come alive to their responsibility.

I see

good

Ehenen

I don't really believe this claim by these twitter users, I feel something has been done with their phone numbers, OTP must be sent to get any number registered....

Na Palm pay start this rumor

People working hard to bring opay down.

Make other fintech rest, or better still, be creative enough to woo customers.

Opay won a jackpot of customer base with there introduction of phone numbers as account numbers...that alone was witty.

Hmm.

It could be from the recycled numbers previously
Owned by another user

Killing bizness

Make I rush collect my #2

Fake news everywhere.
Opay is save no panicking at all

Lol ok...


GTB sef don colet this type of accusations before...



What if people close to them registered on dere behalf in other to get referral Bonus....

Nigeria is full of desperate people...

People don't mind throwing all derr family under the Bus just to make money..

They will use English to cover their thiefery.

Make I quickly check the source of this news Opay have alleged is fake if the source is from David Hundeyin. I go know say nah original fake news.

What's really going on cos I checked my number using my access Bank app and it showed that it was registered on Opay and I can't even remember registering the number gan gan.

Though I use Opay for my daily transaction, but I think this might be a glitch

Opay is a game changer in the banking industry.


They need to do more than this write-up cos bad publicity is the last thing they need at the moment.

They should turn this online banks to full commercial banks with less wahala compared to Gtb and the likes.

Hmmm

Nigerians can lie... I tried with my wife's number, the app couldn't fetch any name. I tried at least three numbers, none could fetch name simply because they did not register. Those whose number could fetch some names were at one time register or trying to register. That is my conclusion

Is a tactics to steal from people, they know those numbers without activities. Even their okash is day light robbery, they force u to borrow higher amount u don't need.

Opay is better than all Nigeria banks put together especially that useless zenith

I thought It's MTN 4G misbehaving when Opay wasn't doing well sef. I changed to 3G & it was a bit better though still unusually slow. You should see the way the less erudite vendors/shopkeeoers tore away their Opay posters and transferred away all their money from it shouting it's scam. Even students I know saying same. For me, everything got better after a day, no stress but people too dey fear. Opay ain't MMM. No be ponzi scheme. Make una dey calm down sha as if traditional commercial banks like First Bank, UBA etc don't break down too. When they did, wasn't it Opay that came to y'all rescue? Una too dey quickly forget stuff

All these threads just to discredit opay...

Where were they when the same Opay was the only APP that saved the lives of millions of Nigerians when Emefiele the devil himself was busy suffering us?

I even forgot my eco bank details and also had to forget my first bank details too during the cashless policy era cuz they were all useless.

Na their competitors dey run them street

No be new thing

slimjohn2k5:
Is a tactics to steal from people, they know those numbers without activities. Even their okash is day light robbery, they force u to borrow higher amount u don't need.

Lol I don't understand which one be they forced you to collect higher amount you don't need dem put Gun for your neck or what....

Wetin u find go dere Loan app if you don't need it