How to block your OPay account when your phone is stolen

2. Use the account-lock method, not the card-only one

• OPay: reviewed account-blocking rowOPay: reviewed account-blocking row

  Verified 12 Oct 2026Official source

OPay distinguishes an account lock from a card lock. A stolen handset exposes more than a physical debit card, so check that the reviewed row is for blocking the account. Follow its official-source instructions; do not assume which phone can initiate it or which authentication details it requires.

A USSD error does not mean your wallet is safe. If you cannot complete the reviewed method, continue with support. Blocking the SIM is a separate network request and should not replace the OPay restriction.

3. If you cannot sign in, use support rather than a borrowed session

OPay’s official contact page provides live chat through the app, telephone support and customer service centres. If you already have safe access to your account on another device, use in-app live chat to request restriction and confirm the incident is recorded.

If the only logged-in phone is the stolen one, the app is not a usable first step. Call the published support number. Do not enter your password or OTP on an unfamiliar phone or give them to a person claiming to unlock your account.

The official pages cited here do not document a current step-by-step in-app emergency-lock menu or a universal expiry time. Do not rely on an assumed temporary lock to keep a stolen-phone account protected.

Official sources: OPay: telephone, in-app support and service centres; OPay: official account/card security information

4. Recover the SIM and account without reopening the risk

Ask your network for its SIM-block and replacement procedure. Secure any email account accessible on the stolen device as well. Once you control a safe phone and number, ask OPay which identity checks and credentials must be updated before the account can be restored.

OPay’s cited official pages do not give a single reactivation deadline or promise that an emergency block automatically expires. Keep the restriction in place until support confirms the recovery process. A request to pay an unofficial ‘unlock fee’ or send an OTP to an agent is not a safe recovery route.

If a physical OPay card was stolen too, request its block separately and ask about replacement. Replacing a card does not recover a SIM or restore a restricted wallet. Support can also direct you to an official service centre if remote verification cannot be completed.

Official sources: OPay: telephone, in-app support and service centres; OPay: official account/card security information

5. If money has left the wallet, create a fraud case immediately

Record the theft time and preserve transaction alerts, references, amounts and recipient details you can safely access. Ask OPay to investigate each unauthorised transfer as well as restricting the account. Do not delete alerts or erase available evidence before saving it securely.

Report the theft to the police when safe and ask OPay what supporting documents it needs. A police report should not delay your first support call. Keep any account details in official reporting channels; do not post your statement, ID or complaint attachments publicly.

Recovery of stolen funds is not guaranteed by an account block, and the cited OPay pages do not set one fraud-refund deadline. Ask for a written response timeline and follow up with the case reference. If the complaint is unresolved, the CBN’s published procedure explains escalation after first reporting to the financial institution.

Official sources: OPay: telephone, in-app support and service centres; CBN: how to lodge a complaint