Fintech company, OPay, may have some explanations to do to Nigerians and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) as many people are now discovering they have an account in their name with the company even without opening one.
The issue that surfaced on the social media platform, X, on Monday has seen many people coming out to confirm that they are just discovering they have an account with the company through their mobile number.
OPay as a licensed mobile money operator, uses customers’ mobile numbers as their account numbers. It is, however, unclear yet how people who have not approached the company for account opening are seeing their number as an OPay account with their full names.
Nairmetrics put this claim to test with a phone number that has never been registered with OPay, using a GTBank app and it indeed brought out our Analyst’s full name.
A test transaction was initiated to transfer N200 to the account and it successfully went through.
A debit alert was received from GTB, but the question remains where did the money go?
The discovery
Sharing the discovery, an X user, @hackSultan wrote
- “I 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?”
I 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?
— Name cannot be blank (@hackSultan) October 2, 2023
This prompted other people to check their number. This can be done by trying to send money from another bank app and then selecting OPay as the receiving bank and typing your phone number as the account number without the first “0” digit.
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.
It's quite a discovery. Both my lines have an Opay account registered to them. I've never used Opay before.
— Mellow Fellow✨ (@0sadebame) October 2, 2023
It was the same for @Lost_DWTBF, who shared:
- “I just checked mine and is the same. @OPay_NG, is there a reason why my number is registered when I have never?”
https://twitter.com/Lost_DWTBF/status/1708945487091339543
The result was the same for many other people without an OPay account who checked and found out there is an OPay account to their number and with their full names.
FCCPC reacts
Reacting to the posts and complaints by the affected people, the Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, said OPay would have 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.
OPay launches investigations
When Nairametrics contacted OPay for explanations on the issue, the company acknowledged that it had also come across the complaints on X and has started investigations to unravel the mystery.
The company’s Head of Marketing, Kunle Adeyemi, however, noted that some of the affected people might have had interactions with OPay in the past.
- “We saw these tweets yesterday and internally we are currently reviewing what transpired as we ensure that all wallet holders are adequately registered. Some people might have had interactions with the platform at one point or the other, it’s important that I get feedback internally based on our investigation before we respond,” he told Nairametrics.
I think the issue is with GTB and opay, if you try it on different bank it will not work.
Also some peope might have registered for Opay service years ago, most especially people that have used the old Infinix or Tecno phone. Cos I remember seeing the opay application on my techn m6 phone around 2010 to 2012 and I registered not even knowing what it was for. Fast forward to 2023 when I tried registered and they told me I had an account, so I just did forgotten password and I’m in.
They just trying to spoil opay market. I have ever tried to transfer money to similar wallet as but there response was if the number register it will be credited.
That was Palm pay
That is true I just tried it and it showed me the same thing
I tried it with my bank it didn’t work, I tried with my Opay to a phone number not on Opay, the message I saw was when this number registers on Opay the money will be credited to the account.
I think most of these people might have registered when Opay was still offer bike riding service.
some people having been using the app when it was first lunch some years ago. Some companies are trying to discredit the company
Not all numbers because my own second number doesn’t work when I input it, says “the user is not Opay customer and if money sent to the number, it will be credit if the owner of the number register Opay in the next 24hrs and if not the money will be refunded back to the sender account”.
I would have share the screenshot but no way to attach file.
They may have stopped since the governing body has reached out to them. So trying it now won’t work cos all eyes are on them
Please people should stop discretting opay,I have been using opay wallet for the past 3 and halve years without any issues
Please ,they should leave Opay alone .
Opay is simply the best in terms of banking transactions in Nigeria now
just because of what has happened yestday, manypeople are afraid of joining your Waallet, how can you explain to people abt the what has happened??
i really like your wallet ots the best of of many bankz
Some are just looking for cheap popularity, I believe they all registered with Oride or any other Opay service back then but now they are all out making noise. As of the test on gtb app, am a gtb app user, try any phone number at d app nd it will automatically bring out d information of the owner nd it will creat an account automatically for d phone number which you can deposit immediately. So people should be careful the way they wrongfully damage d image of organization.
You people should stop spoiling Opay’s name
Good morning , the transfer will go but if that person didn’t open opay account in 24hour the money will return back to you. I tried it and it happened ,so no come online to spoil opay, or you do something with opay before the account still the exit.
Good morning , the transfer will go but if that person didn’t open opay account in 24hour the money will return back to you. I tried it and it happened ,so no come online to spoil opay, or you do something with opay before the account still the exit. Opay is the best way to
All these messages are carried by enemies of opay trying so hard to extinguish the light of opay, opay would continue to shine wether they like it or not.
Pls help me ooo opay is holding down my 60k I withdraw with opay ATM card and it was decline and have been complaining eversince they refuse to reversal my money
Why not reach out to opay directly. Who will help you here?
😂. Hard truth!