MTN Group has confirmed that it recently experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to personal information of some customers in select markets. The pan-African telecommunications giant assured stakeholders that its core network, billing systems, and mobile financial services infrastructure remain secure and fully operational.
In a statement issued to stakeholders, MTN revealed that an unidentified third party claimed to have accessed data linked to parts of the company’s systems. However, the Group stressed that there is currently no evidence suggesting that customer accounts or mobile money (MoMo) wallets have been directly compromised.
However in Ghana, some customers of MTN have been seen on social media claiming their mobile money accounts have been tampered with, with their monies withdrawn without consent. Other users of the network are alleging that the said victims, might have given out the mobile money details to fraudsters who might have called them, acting as MTN workers.
On the issue of the breach, MTN noted that , its cybersecurity response protocols were activated upon detecting the breach. Again it said: “We have informed the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks, and are working closely with law enforcement and regulatory authorities in affected countries.”
The Group has begun notifying impacted customers in line with local data protection laws and regulatory requirements. It is also maintaining open communication with authorities as investigations progress.
MTN urged customers to remain vigilant and adhere to basic cybersecurity practices, including updating apps and devices, using strong passwords, enabling multifactor authentication, and avoiding suspicious links or unsolicited requests for personal information.
“To mitigate any potential fraudulent consequences, customers can place a fraud alert on their credit reports through major credit bureaus,” the company added.
