OPay denies dropping phone numbers as account numbers, gives poster 30-minute ultimatum

OPay has rejected a viral social media claim that it stopped using customers' phone numbers as wallet account numbers. The fintech firm said phone numbers remain valid account identifiers and warned that false information about a financial institution can cause public panic and reputational harm.

The controversy started after an X user, Israel Gharee, posted that OPay had switched to issuing standard account numbers and no longer accepted phone numbers as account identifiers. The post told customers still using phone numbers as their OPay account numbers to visit an OPay agent to upgrade their accounts.

What OPay says

OPay responded through its official X account. It said customers have no reason to visit any agent for an account upgrade or change, contrary to the viral post. It urged the public to ignore the circulating information and rely only on its verified communication channels for anything related to their accounts.

The company also explained how its wallet system works. Regular customers continue to use their registered mobile phone numbers as account identifiers. A separate My BizPayment feature exists on the platform, which can give eligible users merchant account numbers for business purposes. OPay said the existence of that feature does not mean it has ended phone-number-based accounts for ordinary customers.

Legal threat and misinformation warning

OPay took a firmer stance on misinformation about financial institutions. It said: "Creating and intentionally sharing false and misleading information about a financial institution can mislead the public, create unnecessary panic and cause reputational harm."

The company gave the author of the post 30 minutes to delete it, warning that failure to do so could lead to "further legal action as appropriate."

This is not the first time OPay has had to deal with damaging online misinformation. In September, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre arrested an X user who posted a false notice claiming OPay was shutting down and urging customers to withdraw their funds. Police said the post attracted about 572,000 views within minutes of being published.

Regulatory status and advice

The Central Bank of Nigeria lists OPay Digital Services Limited as a licensed mobile money operator, placing it within Nigeria's regulated payments system.

OPay advised customers and members of the public to verify any information about its services through its official channels before sharing or acting on social media claims.

For users, the message is simple: phone-number wallets are still active. Any upgrade notice that did not come from OPay's verified channels should be treated with caution.