How scammers use fake Opay Apps to defraud traders

A video currently trending on X has left many shocked. In the clip, a man was caught after trying to use a fake OPay app to buy an item. When questioned, he revealed exactly how the scam works, showing multiple phones loaded with lookalike OPay apps — “Opay fake alert, OPay Pro, OPay Beta, OPay Max, and others.

The fake apps displayed bogus balances like ₦7.9 million. He later demonstrated how they “add money”, generate transfer alerts, some even saying the money is from TikTok, and complete a ₦200,000 “successful” payment right in front of the camera. The whole thing looks real… until you realise none of it is connected to the actual OPay system.

What makes it even more shocking is that the receiver may even get a credit alert notification on their phones, while the sender’s fake OPay app shows that the amount has been sent successfully. You may only realise something is wrong when you check your actual OPay or bank account, where the money will not have been credited and your balance will remain unchanged.

Fraudsters install these cloned apps that look almost identical to the original OPay. They use them to show fake high balances and generate fake credit alerts and successful transaction screens. Shop owners and individuals see the “money has entered” notification, hand over goods or cash, only to later check their real OPay account and discover that no money actually arrived. The fake app is not linked to NIBSS or the official OPay system, so no real money moves. In this video, the guy who got caught explains the entire process step by step.

Never trust a transfer shown on another person’s phone. Always confirm the money has landed in your own official OPay app before releasing anything. Download OPay only from the official Play Store or App Store — any app called OPay Pro, Beta, Max, Lite, Adder, etc. is fake. If the alert doesn’t show your actual balance or account details properly, it’s fake.

OPay itself is legitimate. The problem is these cloned apps that scammers are using to defraud people. Share this with anyone who accepts mobile transfers. Better to be extra careful than lose money.