How to Block or Deactivate Bank USSD Code in Nigeria (2024)

Losing one’s expensive smartphone hurts, but let me tell you what hurts more… it’s losing one’s money afterwards. Yes, that hits differently! Are you aware that your money can be stolen if you don’t take the necessary steps to protect your account? Contained in this article is a list of all the USSD codes to cancel or deactivate the bank USSD code from working on your stolen phone/SIM card.

For those doubting Thomases, check out the following quotes below, these are real experiences of users who experienced this.

In June 2020, a Twitter user quoted First Bank asking “How does someone steal over 200K from an account in your bank without access to your ATM cards, your pins, USSD pin code and such, and with only access to your SIM card!? The theft was happening, no email! How!!!?”

In May 2020, a Twitter user named Olumide tagged EFCC and ICPC for help. He posted, “@officialEFCC and @ICPC_PE kindly help me with illegal transactions in my account yesterday, my phone got stolen around Oshodi under bridge and they started using USSD code in my sim cards to transfer money out, with @ZenithBank bank, I have never use USSD code kindly help me.”

If that doesn’t convince you enough, here’s another user who complained in a Twitter post in December 2020 about his wife’s phone being stolen and all her funds stolen through the USSD code.

Nigeria banks can’t help. Pls be saving your money in bitcoin … my wife phone was stolen and all her funds was transfers using ussd code we tried reaching bank same day regarding it. Could you belive up till today bank refuse help. They always disappoint when you needed them.

— obejes1 (@obejes1) December 21, 2020

If you’re still confused as to how your money can be stolen, here is a video below for you to take caution.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1365553081585434628

Here’s a video translation for those who don’t understand the Yoruba language spoken in the video above:

I hope these are valid reasons because a word is enough for the wise. I’d be disappointed if you or anyone around you fell victim to this cheap theft after reading this article.

What should you do knowing that this fraud revolves around your SIM card?

The ultimate solution is to protect your SIM cards by activating a SIM lock. You can find that in this article, which reveals how to lock SIM cards in Nigeria. However, banks have started to provide ways to block, cancel, or deactivate the functionality of this code, with or without your phone. That said, let’s delve right into this article on Naijaknowhow!

List of Codes to Block or Deactivate Bank USSD Code From Working on Your Stolen Phone/SIM Card

If you (or anyone around you) lose a phone, here are all the banks’ USSD codes to prevent losing the money in your bank account. The thieves steal victims’ money from their bank accounts using USSD. So in case anyone loses their phone around you, quickly help them to deactivate the USSD profile on his/her bank account by dialling the below codes from any phone.

How to Reactivate USSD Code on Your Bank Account

When you have retrieved your stolen SIM, you can proceed to your bank to ask for assistance in reenabling or reactivating the blocked SIM card. I hope that clarifies this!

Conclusion:

That’s how to deactivate all banks’ USSD codes from working on your missing or stolen mobile phone. This helps stop thieves from stealing your money without your notice. This currently works on Access Bank, Ecobank, FCMB, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, Heritage Bank, Zenith Bank, GTBank, Keystone Bank, Sterling Bank, UBA, Unity Bank, and WEMA Bank. Another surefire way to protect your bank account is to block your account or perhaps, activate the SIM lock. There you go!

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