OPay, a Nigerian payment and financial service firm, has denied allegations of opening accounts without consent. This comes in response to claims on social media that the company is using people’s phone numbers to create accounts without their permission. Many individuals took to social media to express their surprise at suddenly owning an OPay account without ever requesting one.
In a statement released on Thursday, OPay addressed the accusations, explaining that their investigations revealed that some of the phone numbers involved had created an OPay account at various times in 2019 and 2020. The company clarified that their wallet can only be opened through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s registration process, which requires OTP and ID authentication from the user.
Adekunle Adeyemi, the head of marketing at OPay Digital Services Limited, said that once contacted by the OPay team, some individuals claimed not to remember opening the account. The company has resolved concerns raised by at least four individuals who complained on social media, and it was discovered that these accounts had no balance since they were opened. OPay stated that it abides by regulations and asks individuals with similar concerns to contact them directly for prompt resolution.
OPay is a mobile-based platform that offers a range of services, including payments, transfers, loans, savings, and more. Currently, the platform has over 35 million registered app users and 500,000 agents in Nigeria. The company launched its mobile payment service in 2018 and aims to reach the significant unbanked population in the country.