Safaricom explains why users found their M-Pesa menus ‘transacting’ without their knowledge
Former Tusker Project Fame contestant Alvan Love put telecommunication giant company Safaricom on the spot on February 6, 2023, to explain why he found his mobile money wallet, M-Pesa, ‘transacting’ without his knowledge.
“Safaricom! No longer safe! I just found my phone trying to (send) money by it’s self. It started with a notification (your sim played a tone accept or decline. I accepted, then the next thing all the M-Pesa menu came up and started doing things by its self). Safaricom PLC, What the hell is going on? I have since emptied it to zero,” wrote Alvan Love.
Many of his followers commented on his issue, saying they had also experienced it on different occasions.
“I also saw the same prompts. The devil is a liar,” said Anne Wa Lawrence.
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“Yeah. It happened to me, too, yesterday night. I was just on Facebook then the M-Pesa menu came by itself. It even told me thank you for using M-Pesa. I freaked out,” added Winnie Amollo.
“Happened to my someone this very morning…I laughed it off as an iPhone user’s problem. Haiyae!” said Shiku Irungu.
“I slept around 10:30. Upon waking up at 5:15 am, I found my phone on the M-Pesa menu . Of all places, why would my phone station itself in the M-Pesa menu. That just happened today. Strange, right?” said Neima Ahmed.
“I woke up in the morning to find my phone on Mpesa menu. This has happened twice and I am sure I didn’t leave my phone on that window,” Mnyazi Mtsonga.
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“Ouh I thought I was the only one. I wondered what my M-Pesa had to do with a tone I never played or asked to be played. What’s really going on and when did my phone start operating on its own especially on matters money ,” said Eunice Ndegwa.
As pressure mounted on Safaricom to explain itself, the company responded in Alvan Love’s comment section, saying the M-Pesa menu activating resulted from a new development in the M-Pesa withdrawal menu.
“Hello Alvan, we extend to you our most sincere apologies regarding the experience with our M-Pesa service. The issue was as a result of M-Pesa system menu push for the newly developed M-Pesa withdrawal menu. Your M-Pesa account was not accessed as there was no PIN request. Thank you. AO,” responded Safaricom’s social media handlers.
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