On January 8, Oluwasegun Aluko, a lecturer resident in Ekiti State, paid N150,000 to MTN Nigeria for a 1.5 terabyte data subscription.
Aluko told FIJ that a high-net data plan, which he did through the telecommunication’s mobile app, would usually last a year and only be renewed the following year.
He explained that before completing the transaction, MTN sent him a text message to confirm he was the one making the request and advised him to call 300 if it wasn’t him. After verifying his identity, Aluko proceeded with the payment.
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Aluko added that he opted to pay via the bank transfer option, using a Sterling Bank Coral account provided by MTN within the app. He then transferred N150,000 from his GTBank account. Shortly after that, MTN sent a confirmation message stating that the data plan had been successfully activated and would remain valid till 2026.
The Ekiti resident said he started using the data mainly for his security camera but he noticed the camera stopped transmitting data three weeks later.
“I did extensive troubleshooting, but it never occurred to me that the issue could be related to data exhaustion, I had purchased 1.5TB, which I knew I couldn’t even use up halfway through the year,” Aluko told FIJ.
“I had chosen this plan because my SIM had issues requiring frequent removal for reloading, so I wanted a long-term plan.
“After trying several solutions, I still didn’t suspect a data issue. However, about two weeks ago, I attempted to connect to Wi-Fi, but it wasn’t working. I tried multiple devices, but none could connect.
The receipt of payment made to MTN.
Aluko’s data plan on the MTN App.
“I then decided to check the SIM balance, and to my surprise, I received an unusual message saying my data balance was “cloned”.
“Normally, if a data plan is exhausted, MTN states that the balance is zero, but this was different.”
Aluko said he repeatedly contacted MTN, but the company gave different excuses. At some point, they said that his transaction history had been cleared from their system.
He said they also insinuated that he might have paid to a scammer.
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“I contacted MTN multiple times, but they kept giving different stories and excuses, claiming the transaction history had been wiped from their system,” Aluko said.
“Up till now, they have not resolved the issue. Their latest claim is that I may have paid a scammer. But how is that possible when I initiated the transaction through the official MTN app?
“They even sent a confirmation message asking me to verify if I was the one making the transaction, and I confirmed it. MTN acknowledged that the bundle had been activated, so how could they now say I paid into the wrong account?
“This is a lot of money, and it is unfair to Nigerians. They must either restore my data or refund my money.”
FIJ called MTN multiple times on Monday but there was no response from the company.
On WhatsApp, one of the MTN agents who simply identified as MK said their investigation confirmed that the support team was handling Aluko’s complaint.
“Investigation shows the reported complaint is currently receiving attention from our support team. However, a follow-up ticket has been opened in this regard. Feedback will be communicated upon conclusion,” MK responded.
The post MTN Can’t Explain Where Ekiti Resident’s N150,000 Data Went Days After Subscription appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.