How to report MTN Momo Agents for illegal charges for cash out above Ghs1000

Do you know you can report any MTN Momo Agents for illegal charges they make you pay each time you cash out above, Ghs1000?

Momo Agents in Ghana have been engaging in Momo cashout illegalities for a long, and we are yet to hear MTN Ghana punished such persons and update the public on it to deter like-minded agents.

The illegality that agents have been practising is that each time a Momo user decides to cash out an amount above, Ghs1000.00, they decide to force you to do it in bits and pieces.

Currently, Momo users who attempt to cash out are any amount above, GHS1000 are made to pay more for the service by the agents.

For instance, if you are cashing out let’s say Ghs2500.00, you will be charged for only the first GHS1000 by MTN Ghana.

But if you go to a typical Momo Agent or Merchant for the service, they will give you one of the following illegal options.

A. You will be asked to split the cash-out into first Ghs1000, Second Ghs1000, and then Ghs500 before you can cash out a total of Ghs2500.00

 

B. You will be told that after the transaction, of say Ghs2500.00 you would have to pay an extra Ghs15.00 in cash to the Agent. Thus, you end up paying Ghs25.00 instead of Ghs10.00 for the service.

 

C. You would be told that they can do only, Ghs1000 since they don’t have cash. This last option is often a lie and a trick to split the cash-out.

D. Walk away and look for another service provider who will offer genuine service without the intention of cheating you.

 

The funny side is that, in case you are making a depositing of let say GHS2500.00 they will not say they want to deposit for you in bits.

Per the laws governing the MTN Momo, users are not to be coerced into paying any additional fees apart from those affected by the system. But because MTN Ghana is probably silent and adamant on such issues, agents have normalized the illegality and are cheating users of the service.

A member of the Ghana Education News team visited the Madina Branch of MTN Ghana as an ordinary customer to find out if MTN was aware of the practice and what needs to be done if a user is faced with such an issue.

The officer was explicitly clear that the practice was illegal and users of MTN Momo must report such Agents to MTN. But how many Momo users out there are aware of this and how to go about it?

 

How to deal with the illegal fee and report by Momo agents and report them to MTN Ghana

During the brief but informative discussion, the MTN officer revealed that users can call the toll-free number 100 on their MTN numbers to lodge complaints.

Report such Momo agents to MTN by dialling 100 and following the prompt.

According to the officer, one must do well to have the name of the agent, the transaction codes and your phone number ready.

This would help MTN Ghana to investigate the matter and lead to the suspension of the Merchant or Agent.

However, to ensure this option works and saves others from the exploitation of these MTN Agents and Merchants, you need to cash out in bits as required by the merchant or Agent then report immediately to MTN via a call to 100.

 

However, the following can help users.

1. Instead of going to the usual Momo agent, visit the MTN office in your community to do large cashouts that are GHS1000 plus and pay just the official charge of Ghs10.00 only.

2. Visit banks such as UBA, Ecobank, etc to cash out at regular charges for such transactions.

It is important that MTN Ghana openly speaks against this illegal practice which has become normal among Momo Operators who have turned this act into a cash cow.

MTN must not pretend that it is not aware of the practice. An advert speaking against the practice on TV and Radio will go a long way to further educating the public.

READ: Full List Of MTN Short Codes In Ghana

There should also be a means of reporting this kind of fraud via the Momo platform, just as users can report fraudsters and scammers.

Momo users are also advised to be assertive and confront such Momo Agents who attempt to charge the illegal fees without you provoking them. Tell them the truth in their face with confidence.