South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
Clients of the MTN mobile money (Momo) system, which facilitates cash withdrawals and deposits for mobile money customers, are calling for a system upgrade following incidents of money theft within the platform.
Mariak Hakim Deng, a 23-year-old Momo agent, reported that the system has been plagued by issues related to clients losing money during transactions, particularly during cash withdrawals.
Deng revealed that many individuals are hesitant to make withdrawals, as they sometimes find that when they attempt to withdraw 10,000 South Sudanese Pounds, a significant amount of money mysteriously disappears from their accounts.
“Last week, I lost 800,000 South Sudanese Pounds. I reported the case to MTN, and they advised me to report it to the police. I provided them with the necessary documentation, and they said they would give me feedback,” Deng explained in an interview.
“What I can tell MTN is that they need to upgrade the system. For those whose money has been stolen, they are one of MTN’s clients. No customer should have to worry about the security of their funds in a Momo account,” he said.
Deng began his business in July 2023, noting that the company offers a 2.5 percent commission, which accumulates to over 200 SSP.
He expressed concern that the business is now at risk, stating he would certainly cease operations if the system is not safeguarded against theft by suspected clients.
“They are trying to hack the system. I am worried about the business; for me, I will stop operating if it continues to pose a risk,” he said.
“MTN needs to protect the system. Some clients are experiencing similar problems; this issue is not unique to us. It is particularly rampant here in Shirikat,” he added.
Attempts to contact MTN for a comment on the matter have been unsuccessful at the time of this report.
Deng Mayen, another 23-year-old MTN mobile money agent, emphasised the urgency of protecting the system from hackers.
“I experienced the same problem three months ago when I lost 45,000 SSP. I went to the MTN office and explained everything to them. They instructed an agent to refund the money immediately, and after a few minutes, the agent did refund it,” Mayen said.
“Once the money disappears, it needs to be refunded immediately. We are concerned; the system needs to be secured because this is business. There must be a confirmation message from the agent,” he added.
