Man recovers ₦50,000 after Airtel reverses data purchase made to wrong number

A Nigerian has recounted how Airtel refunded ₦50,000 worth of airtime after he mistakenly purchased a 300GB data bundle for the wrong phone number.

The man, who shared his experience online, said the error occurred because the unintended recipient’s Airtel number ended with “6” instead of his own, which ends with “2.”

According to him, he immediately contacted the woman who received the data, explained the mistake and forwarded the transaction receipt as evidence.

However, he claimed she initially suspected it was a scam and later insisted there was nothing she could do, urging him to stop contacting her.

“I mistakenly credited another person’s line. I called her, explained everything and even sent the receipt, but she said I was trying to scam her. After I explained properly, she still said there was nothing she could do and stopped replying my messages,” he wrote.

The man said he initially considered accepting the loss but later decided to report the issue to Airtel’s customer care.

After providing the transaction ID and other required details, Airtel reportedly investigated the complaint and reversed the ₦50,000 as airtime.

He said the refund enabled him to repurchase the 300GB data plan on the correct phone number.

The incident has generated mixed reactions on social media, with many users commending Airtel for resolving the issue promptly.

Others urged subscribers to carefully verify phone numbers before completing expensive transactions, while some argued that the unintended recipient should have made efforts to help recover the mistakenly purchased data after receiving proof of the error.