********** cellphone contracts

I am a victim of identity theft and *****. On 26 November 2021, a debit order from MTN deducted money from my bank account without me having opened any contract with them. It turned out that a cellphone contract was opened in my name **********ly. I noticed this, because prior to that, on 02 November 2021, I had received a call from someone who said he worked for a company called Mondo and he said he was selling me insurance for a Samsung A32 5G that he claimed I had taken out a contract for. I dismissed his claim and told him that I had no knowledge of that. Mondo debited my bank account for cellphone insurance despite me telling them that I had no contract with MTN.

I then sent an email to *********** on 02 November 2021 raising the matter. They responded on 11 November 2021 saying that I should send them a certified ID copy and a story of what transpired. I sent them as requested; the story was written on an affidavit from Burgersfort Police Station. They responded with an iLula reference number, 1-109287*****, which is MTN’s way of lodging a query for investigation. I kept following up for feedback from MTN via email about the status of the matter, but there was no response. I could not call MTN customer care line to seek help and talk to a consultant, because I did not own an MTN simcard.

I called Mondo to query the ********** contract and insurance. They told me that the phone was bought telephonically and that it was delivered by DSV Couriers to the *********. This person then signed for it and presented identity documentation that would’ve had my ID number in order for the courier driver to issue him the phone. According to the Mondo consultant, a mere uncertified ID copy suffices in this regard. They mentioned that they have the recording available of the telephone call of the imposter buying the phone.

MTN debited my bank account again in December 2021. I then visited an MTN store in Louis Trichardt to seek help about the matter. I explained to them my problem and I presented my original ID to them. They printed out for me the ********** contract and borrowed me an MTN cellphone for me to call MTN customer care. I called MTN and explained my story and the consultant told me that the reported matter linked to the reference number, 1-109287*****, was not accepted as a ********** case. Their reason was that the ID number recorded on the cellphone contract matched the ID number on the ID copy that I sent to ***********.

In January 2022, I called Mondo again trying to fight for the cancellation of the MTN cellphone contract opened in my name in October 2021 or November 2021. To my surprise, I was then told by the consultant over the phone that two more MTN cellphone contracts had been opened in my name again in January 2022; an iPhone 13 and a Samsung A12. The debit order for the initial phone deducted money from my bank account again in January 2022. I received an MTN DebiCheck notification from my bank, which I declined. I suspect it was for the other two cellphones. At least, I managed to get the cellphone insurance for the initial contract cancelled.

I then went to an MTN store at Tubatse Crossing Mall in Burgersfort to seek help towards cancelling the ********** contracts. They assisted me by lodging another iLula reference number, 1-138937*****, for the other two ********** cellphone contracts to be investigated within MTN. I then bought a prepaid MTN simcard so that I could call MTN customer care service and do follow-ups. I called them and they requested that I open a police case and send them the case number, which I did (CAS ********), opened at Burgersfort Police Station). In February 2022, after making a plea for help from an MTN customer care consultant, she advised that I request, via email, for the three ********** contracts opened in my name to be changed from debit to cash so that they stop debiting my account, which I did. I was told that the investigations at MTN would take up to 20 working days, to which I comp**** by waiting for the days to pass.

On 11 March 2022, I called MTN customer care to follow up on their investigation of the ********** contracts, they still had not cancelled the contracts. I expressed my displeasure and plea for them to be cancelled. The lady then said that she cancelled them. When I asked her to send me an email to prove that, she declined to send me the email and suggested that I visit an MTN store nearest to me in order to see that the contracts had indeed been cancelled. I then visited the MTN store at Tubatse Crossing Mall on 12 March 2022. I was told by the worker that assisted me that the two contracts opened in January 2022 were in fact cancelled, but the contract opened in October 2021 or November 2021, was still active.

I had been reversing the debit orders, because I needed my money and this has negatively affected my credit record status. I am currently unable to apply for credit elsewhere, because the credit bureau reflects unsettled debt or arrears with MTN on my name, because of these ********** contracts.

It is now 14 March 2022, and the matter is still unresolved. I did not take any of the three cellphone contracts, I don’t know who did. It was clearly a ******** or ********* that used my identity and bank details. Please help me clear my name from this ***** and assist South Africa and MTN from falling victim to such ******** syndicates. They need to be brought to book. I am most probably one of many… many people who are victims of this crime.