“They Forgot”: OPay Speaks as Customers Accused Company of Opening Accounts Without Permission
- Opay has reacted to an uproar on social media that it opened several customers' accounts without their knowledge or consent
- The concerns have led to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) promising an investigation
- OPay, in a recent statement, revealed that it has over 40 million users, 500,000 agents, and 150,000 merchants in Nigeria
PAY ATTENTION: #StartupSouth Awards 2023 Nominated Legit.ng in the category Best Startup Coverage! Your support matters - click to VOTE for Legit.ng for free!
OPay, one of Nigeria's financial technology companies, has addressed concerns regarding allegations of unauthorized account openings.
The complaints from Nigerians on social media are that the digital payment platform uses their phone number to open accounts without permission.
Source: UGC
He explained that a check was done on those raising complaints and revealed that they opened accounts three to four years ago but had since forgotten about them.
He said:
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
“We received information indicating the presence of active accounts and wallets within our OPay app. The account owners claimed that these had been created without their knowledge or consent.
"In response to these claims, we promptly initiated an investigation to verify their authenticity, in compliance with regulatory requirements governing all OPay wallets.
"Upon completing our investigation, we ascertained that the account openings indeed occurred at different times, primarily between 2019 and 2020, and were associated with the respective owners."
The company further emphasized its commitment to the highest standards of customer service.
"After our team reached out to them, some individuals mentioned that they couldn't recall whether or when they had opened their accounts.
"We have already addressed at least four complaints received through social media by reaching out to those involved to resolve their concerns.
"It's worth noting that certain accounts have remained inactive with zero balances since their creation.
"As a law-abiding and strictly regulated organization, we have asked these individuals whether they wish to keep their accounts and have accommodated their requests based on their responses."
Adeyemi explained that the OPay wallet could only be opened through the CBN-established registration process, which requires the input of an OTP authentication (one-time password) from the user's phone to proceed.
FCCPC makes demands
According to the Guardian, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has requested that the current issues affecting its operations in Nigeria.
The Chief Executive Officer, Babatunde Irukera, said in X post:
“OPAY is bound to @fccpcnigeria address and explain this and other anomalies consumers have identified in the last few days.”
45 failed banks in Nigeria and dates of closure
In another report, Legit.ng revealed that in the last 28 years, approximately 46 commercial and merchant banks have closed down for various reasons.
The banks had their licenses revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria between 1994 and 2006.
United Bank of Africa and Ecobank took control of the failed commercial banks.
Source: Legit.ng
