Watch out for the latest OTP scam plaguing MTN’s network

If excessive spam calls weren’t enough, South Africans will now need need to guard against a new MTN scam plaguing the network.

Using OTPs, or one-time PIN numbers, scammers can gain access to a users’ MTN account, purchase airtime and data, and then transfer said purchases to another number.

According to MTN, fraudsters gain the OTP from users directly, asking them to provide it during spam calls.

“Unfortunately, fraudsters are everywhere and we want to be sure all our customers are protected at all times, across our entire business,” explained Jacqui O’Sullivan, the company’s corporate affairs executive.

“Our systems are designed to safeguard our customer’s information from crimes such as data theft, sim swap fraud, identity theft and others but we need all our customers to remain vigilant at all times.”

The scam requires MTN consumers to divulge their OTPs to fraudsters over the phone

What can you do to safeguard against this OTP scam?

Refrain from divulging personal information over the phone, especially from a number you do not recognise.

“MTN aims to protect customers from fraudulent transactions that often originate elsewhere as identity theft. Any business has to stay one step ahead of these criminals at all times and at MTN, we will continue to do all we can to best protect our valued customers,” O’Sullivan concludes.

We’ve reached out to the company for clarification regarding the nature of these calls, and more granular details on the scam itself.

Feature image: warrenski via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0, resized)