MTN recycled my number without consent

My MTN number was recycled without prior notice or any warning. I received a notification that my WhatsApp has been logged off from my current device due to a registration on a second device. This was suspicious to me, as I had not registered my WhatsApp on another device and thought that my account was being hacked.

When I visited the MTN branch to enquire about what had happened I was notified by a consultant that my SIM card had been recycled and given to another client. The consultant told me that they could not assist me with this matter and that I have to contact the person using the new SIM card in order to gain access to my number - she stated that they could not provide me with any details of the new owner and I will have to try and contact the number and reach out to make arrangements for them to give me the SIM card - this is absolutely appalling that I have to go hunt down a person using my registered phone number due to negligence of MTN. What is the point of having a SIM card RICA’d if you can choose when to deactivate it and hand it over to someone else?

I received zero communication , or notification that my SIM card was going to be recycled due to the lack of transactions on the sim, in fact, I had no idea that you guys could give away my number to someone else without my consent? Is this legal as the SIM card belongs to me and was registered on my name? Being a leading telecommunications company, are you oblivious to the fact that a phone does not require airtime to be operational due to the increased usage of WiFi instead of mobile data and instant messaging instead of SMS? Under no obligation was I required to load airtime in order to keep a number that legally belonged to me.

I have banking OTP’s and other important information linked to the number. This has now put me in a major inconvenience and this action is a breach of my personal privacy and data. Are you aware that the recycling of my number and many others could possibly lead to identity theft? Authentication issues and a hacked bank account???

Unprofessional and disappointed by the lack of communication and the process of recycling of numbers.

The approach of recycling of numbers can cause greater issues and *******ion than MTN realises. It’s not just a number MTN, it’s personal information linked to that number!!!!