A breakthrough has been made in the One Time Pin (OTP) scam, a prevalent fraudulent tactic in the telecommunications industry.
MTN South Africa, in collaboration with Crime Intelligence, Commercial Crimes, and other Crime Prevention units of the South African Police Service (SAPS), has confirmed the arrest of 11 individuals involved in the scam.
The mobile network, one of the largest in the country, announced that the arrests occurred over the weekend following a successful search and seizure operation at properties believed to be the headquarters of these OTP scam syndicates in Eldorado Park, south of Johannesburg.
MTN South Africa’s Senior Manager for External Communications, Mthokozisi Ndlovu, stated that the successful raid resulted from a coordinated effort by various stakeholders, including anonymous tip-offs.
During the investigation, MTN and the Commercial Crimes Unit obtained search warrants to raid five properties in Eldorado Park associated with front businesses, suppliers, call centres, and the operations of the OTP scam syndicate.
In many incidents, these criminals impersonate MTN call centre agents, requesting customers’ security details under the pretense of blocking a fraudulent SIM swap request made without the subscriber’s knowledge or authorisation.
The scammers then use the information obtained during the call to access mobile and banking applications, illegally transferring funds.
“This is a major milestone for MTN and a victory for all our customers who are regularly targeted by these criminals. OTP scams are among the leading scam tactics used by criminals,” said Ndlovu.
He praised the members of SAPS Crime Intelligence and the Commercial Crimes Unit for their unwavering support in bringing these criminals to justice.
Ndlovu highlighted that identity or subscription fraud has become a global threat impacting network operators and customers, as criminals continuously seek new ways to circumvent fraud prevention systems.
“At MTN, we aim to protect customers from fraudulent transactions that often originate elsewhere, frequently through identity theft. The OTP scam is one of the prevalent fraudulent tactics in the telecommunications industry,” he added.
MTN has implemented several measures to mitigate the impact of OTP scams. The company has previously communicated to customers that it would not contact them from its call centre to block SIM swap requests or request OTPs.
“We urge all our customers not to respond to unsolicited calls and requests for their security details from unknown numbers. Communication to customers is typically made via platforms such as social media posts and press statements,” he advised.
Customers wishing to report fraud or suspicious activity can contact MTN Fraud through the following channels: [email protected] or [email protected], and by calling 083 135 and selecting the fraud desk option. Additional information is available on their website’s fraud information section.
He also said the matter is under investigation, they cannot further comments.
Many individuals have fallen victim to various scams, including Cathy Smith from Johannesburg. She recounted how scammers stole her identity using a different number.
“WhatsApp was not very useful; I only received help when many people realised this was not me and reported and blocked the number,” she said.
Smith expressed her relief that MTN has caught the culprits, bringing her hope that further arrests will prevent others from becoming victims.
The Star