No official statement from telecom giant as thousands use NCC codes to block unsolicited services, citing widespread billing fears

Thousands of MTN Nigeria subscribers in Lagos and other major cities have begun urgently checking their mobile lines following widespread claims of unauthorised ₦100 airtime deductions, which surfaced online on Monday. The panic was triggered by a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), where a user alleged being enrolled into a paid subscription without consent, leading to a midnight debit for a service named ‘Mega Wins – Slot Daily.’

The incident unfolded after the subscriber posted screenshots showing an SMS confirmation of the unsolicited service activation just after midnight, with no immediate charge but an auto-renewal scheduled for the next day. Twenty-four hours later, a second SMS allegedly confirmed the deduction of ₦100 from their airtime balance. As the post gained traction, thousands of MTN users across Lagos and beyond began running audits on their accounts, sharing similar experiences and urging others to check for hidden value-added services (VAS) that may be silently draining their airtime.

This development comes at a time when telecom users in Nigeria are grappling with rising costs and concerns over data transparency. The claim that such automated deductions—if scaled across millions—could generate massive undisclosed revenue has heightened public anxiety. However, as at Tuesday morning, there is no independent evidence that MTN’s system is automatically subscribing users without consent, and MTN has yet to issue any official response addressing the viral thread or confirming any system breach.

Industry guidelines from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) provide remedies for affected subscribers. Customers can dial *305# on their MTN line to view and cancel all active third-party subscriptions instantly. In addition, texting ‘STOP’ to 2442 activates the full Do-Not-Disturb (DND) mode, blocking all promotional subscription requests and minimising accidental charges. Consumer rights advocates say these measures are effective if consistently used but stress that operators must do more to ensure transparency.

While many subscribers continue to share screenshots of successful opt-outs via social media, calls persist for MTN and other network operators to clarify how such activations occur and what safeguards exist against future occurrences. As at press time, opposition parties and consumer groups have not released official statements, but pressure is mounting on regulatory authorities to enforce stricter oversight of third-party billing practices within Nigeria’s telecom sector.

Source: https://www.pulse.ng/story/mtn-unauthorized-deduction-check-code-2026062410204052442