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Claim: OPay agents protest over missing funds.
Verdict: The circulated protest video featuring OPay agents is from 2021. OPay asserts that the allegations have been addressed, rendering the claim misleading.
Full Text
In the early days of Oct. 2023, a protest video of OPay agents began to go viral on the internet. After some money suddenly disappeared from their accounts on a Sunday night, the group complained. The complaint footage has been extensively shared on Facebook and WhatsApp, accompanied by cautions to customers to exercise vigilance by transferring their funds to alternative banks.
OPay is a mobile platform catering to needs such as payments, transfers, loans, savings, and essential services for individuals. At present, OPay boasts over 35 million registered app users and a network of 500,000 agents in Nigeria.
The viral video had different captions, including “Scam alert, beware” and another “OPAY, please listen to this, for those using Opay account.”
Due to the delicate nature of the assertion and the public unrest it could cause, DUBAWA opted to investigate it.
Verification
DUBAWA observed that the video had emanated from TVC News. Therefore, we conducted some keyword searches and found an Aug. 23, 2021, video on TVC’s YouTube channel titled “OPAY Agents Protest ‘Unauthorised’ Fund Withdrawal, Demand Urgent Intervention.”
According to the protesters, they woke up to their accounts emptied by unknown fraudsters. Although they had filed complaints with the company, nothing seemed to have been done about the missing monies, hence the protest.
Furthermore, we checked the official Facebook page of OPay. We found a disclaimer where the bank debunked the recent claim and clarified that the missing funds allegations were a 2021 occurrence and “have been resolved in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.”
It further reassured customers of the safety of their funds in the statement.
Conclusion
The protest video featuring OPay agents in circulation dates back to 2021. According to OPay, the allegations have been resolved. The claim is misleading.
