Last year GTBank launched the option of mobile recharge via the 737 service for its Bank customers. I found myself arguing a point with one of its staff.
And this was my point.
Maybe I should divest into preambles – The 737 mobile recharge service works like this: It affords a GTBank customer to dial the 737*recharge-amount# and the customer’s phone-number is automatically credited, while your bank account is debited.
The security bottleneck is that your phone nimber must be the registered number on your GTBank account profile.
Quite easy, simple, fast and very efficient. I started using it and even ditched my regular roadside mobile kiosks until I had a change of mind. Mind you I did not change my mind for any security risks, I did because I felt the guy managing the Kiosk needs the small profit on the sale of recharge card than GTB.
Back to the matter; What happens when someone registers my phone number with his/her account. That was my point of argument with my GT friend. Well he allayed my fears saying such can’t occur.
Well I was with a someone; lets call him Mr B and it happened. Not as a fraud case anyway. The relation who was in abroad included his phone-number as the registered number in-order for Mr B to be able to monitor transactions on the account.
GTBank came along with Mobile Recharge and Mr B started using the service. But guess whose account was being debited – The relation’s account.
It took a while for the both of them to notice something wasn’t right. It could have lead to something else.
I wrote about GTBank Mobile Money Transfer and was wondering if it could also happen this way. Preently now, I have no one close by to argue this out with.
One last thing, I love GTBank and still remain a die-hard fan. Quite alot of other banks also offer the shortcode dial option of recharging similar to what GT offers. I did not single out GTB except for the reason that its my bank and happens to be the reference point in the story.
I’d really love to hear your thoughts.