The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a stern warning to loan app companies and telemarketers over their unauthorised usage of telecoms subscribers’ phone numbers for commercial activities.
The commission, in a public notice released on Thursday, said anyone caught in the act would be arrested and prosecuted.
The telecom regulator considers the use of people’s phone numbers without the subscribers’ express consent to be a violation of privacy.
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It continued by stating that the telemarketers’ claims that they obtained the numbers from the NCC and the national database of registered SIMs were bogus.
The commission, however, urged telecom customers to use the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Short Code, which was issued by the NCC to manage their subscription to Value Added Services and to opt out of unsolicited text messages and other telemarketing pitches. To do this, send the word “STOP” to the short code 2442 for FULL DND.
Additionally, it advised telecom customers who witness such unlawful telemarketing practices to report such incidents to the commission by calling the NCC Toll-Free Number 622 so that the appropriate enforcement measures can be taken.
