How to block a First Bank ATM card

2. Use only a reviewed emergency method

Read the linked action before using USSD. An account restriction can be wider than the card block you asked for. If you have also lost the registered SIM, do not assume the normal USSD menu will work from a borrowed number; follow only the instructions in the reviewed row or those given by FirstContact.

A failed session leaves the problem unresolved. Return to FirstContact rather than repeatedly trying variants of a code.

3. Switch off every exposed card channel in FirstMobile

FirstBank describes Card-in-Control as a way to enable or disable the channels and countries where your card can be used. Its published route is Self-service → Card Management Service. These channel controls should not be mistaken for confirmation that the bank has cancelled the physical card.

1. On a phone you control, sign in to FirstMobile and open the self-service menu.
2. Open Card Management Service and find the relevant card’s Card-in-Control settings.
3. Disable ATM, POS and online use where those controls are available, not just the channel where you last used the card.
4. Ask FirstContact to confirm the full card block. If menus differ, do not postpone the call while looking for a setting.

Official sources: FirstBank: FirstMobile Card-in-Control

4. Understand channel controls before you re-enable anything

FirstMobile’s enable/disable controls are different from cancellation of a stolen card. Do not re-enable a recovered card without discussing the exposure with FirstContact. The bank’s cited pages do not give a universal rule for reversing a lost-card block.

Visit a FirstBank branch to request replacement and ask which identification, documents and charges apply to your card. Its debit-card comparison page lists a 15-minute process time for several physical cards. That is a published processing figure, not a guarantee of total waiting time or that every branch has your card available.

Confirm the replacement arrangements with the branch. Keep the old card disabled until FirstBank tells you how the new card is activated.

Official sources: FirstBank: FirstMobile Card-in-Control; FirstBank: debit-card processing times

5. Track theft and disputed payments as a separate complaint

A card that fell out of your pocket with no suspicious transactions needs blocking and replacement. A stolen card or an unfamiliar debit also needs a fraud report. Give FirstContact a short timeline and a list of the disputed payments; attach statement entries or alerts through the bank’s official complaint channel.

Report a theft to the police when safe, but do not wait for paperwork before restricting the card. Ask FirstBank which evidence is needed for its investigation. Never include your PIN, CVV, password or OTP in a complaint.

FirstBank’s complaints page links to its online complaints portal. Keep your reference, the report date and copies of follow-up messages. Ask for the fraud case’s expected response date rather than assuming a technical reversal deadline applies. The CBN’s complaint procedure explains when an unresolved bank complaint can be escalated.

Official sources: FirstBank: FirstContact and complaints process; CBN: how to lodge a complaint