MobileMoney LTD, the MTN Ghana subsidiary responsible for the country’s largest mobile money platform, has attributed a widely shared MoMo fraud incident to the victim’s own disclosure of sensitive security credentials, responding to a viral TikTok video that reignited public concern over the safety of Ghana’s digital payments ecosystem.
The company said in a statement issued in Accra on Sunday that its internal investigation found the affected customer, identified as the mother of content creator HealwithDiana of the TikTok handle ‘HealwithDiana | Nervous System’, had shared her Mobile Money (MoMo) App Registration One-Time Password (OTP), MoMo Personal Identification Number (PIN), and Login OTP with a fraudster during a phone call. Those credentials allowed the fraudster to register the customer’s wallet on a separate device and execute unauthorised transactions.
“MobileMoney LTD will never request a customer’s OTP, MoMo PIN, or any personal security code under any circumstance,” the company said, adding that every security notification it sends to customers already includes a clear warning against sharing such codes with anyone. The number used by the fraudster has since been blocked and blacklisted on the MoMo platform and suspended from voice services. The company said it continues to work with law enforcement as part of an ongoing review.
Customers were directed to report fraud immediately through the MTN 419 Helpline.
The statement comes amid heightened public scrutiny of MoMo security in Ghana. The incident closely mirrors a case from April 2025 in which a Ghanaian woman’s viral TikTok video about the loss of GH¢11,000 from her MoMo account triggered a national conversation about platform safety. MobileMoney LTD attributed that case to social engineering as well, a technique in which fraudsters pose as telecom agents or prize officials to trick customers into voluntarily revealing their PINs or OTPs.
The pattern points to a persistent and widening problem. The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) of Ghana recorded a 52 percent surge in cyber incidents in the first half of 2025. Research from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance found that 45 percent of all cybercrime cases reported in Ghana relate to fraud, while data from the Bank of Ghana’s 2023 Financial Stability Review showed that mobile money fraud accounted for approximately 20 percent of all fraud cases across the financial sector.
MobileMoney LTD operates over 17 million registered subscriber accounts. In its statement, the company said it “remains committed to transparency, customer protection, and factual public discourse,” while also noting that it may pursue legal action or other measures to protect its reputation and service integrity in connection with public commentary it considers to contain unverified claims.
Consumer advocates and digital security experts have repeatedly noted that while social engineering remains the most common attack vector, the frequency and consistency of such incidents points to a need for stronger proactive customer education, particularly among elderly users and those in rural areas where digital literacy around scam tactics remains limited. Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications data shows that more than half of mobile money users have limited awareness of how digital scams operate.
Customers who suspect fraud are advised to call the MTN 419 Helpline immediately, avoid sharing OTPs or PINs with any caller regardless of stated identity, and report incidents to the Cyber Security Authority via the toll-free number 292.
