MTN is profiting from ***** and blaming the victims

I received a call from people who claimed to be from MTN’s ***** Department. They told me that a *****ulent SIM swap was being processed on my account and gave me the name of the person allegedly involved. They then sent me an SMS and instructed me to click on a link to stop the *****ulent activity.

I followed the instruction because I believed I was dealing with MTN’s ***** Department and was trying to protect my account. I was not asked for an OTP. I was not asked to disclose my banking details over the phone. The ****mers simply directed me to a link under the pretext of stopping a *****ulent SIM swap.

It was only when they instructed me to log into my bank account that I realised something was seriously wrong. I immediately ended the call, but MTN’s systems had already allowed my usage limit to be increased and *****ulent purchases amounting to R5,095 had been processed.

When I reported the matter to MTN, your ***** Department’s response was to blame me because I clicked on the link. That is an extremely convenient and unacceptable response. MTN’s warnings repeatedly state that the company will never call customers to request an OTP. These individuals did not request an OTP. They used a *****ulent SIM swap as the basis for the call, which is precisely the type of situation in which a customer would reasonably believe they were being assisted by MTN.

The fact that my usage limit could be increased during the **** and that R5,095 in transactions could be processed raises serious questions about MTN’s internal controls, account security and ***** prevention systems. MTN cannot simply benefit from the transactions and then wash its hands of the matter by blaming the customer.

It is also deeply concerning that MTN appears more interested in protecting its revenue than investigating how this ***** was enabled. I am not alleging that MTN employees were involved, but the circumstances warrant a proper investigation into whether there was an internal security failure, a compromise of customer information or collusion somewhere in the process.

Customers should not be expected to carry the full financial consequences of sophisticated ****s while MTN accepts no responsibility for its own systems and processes. I expect MTN to investigate this matter properly, explain how my limit was increased, identify how the transactions were processed, and reimburse the full amount of R5,095.

MTN’s current position is not customer service. It is an attempt to shift responsibility onto the victim. I will be escalating this matter through the relevant regulatory and consumer protection channels.