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The short answer
If you see a PalmPay debit you did not make, contact PalmPay at once to freeze the account (its Play listing gives 018886888 and support@palmpay.com), then change your PIN and password and secure your SIM. Report the transaction in writing with the time and amount, and make a police report; speed matters because the receiving bank can only hold money that has not yet been withdrawn.
First, work out what you are looking at
Not every unfamiliar line is fraud. Before anything else, open the transaction and read its description. Some debits are legitimate but unexpected:
- A savings plan or auto-save moving money into CashBox or a target plan.
- A loan repayment on its due date.
- The ₦50 stamp duty on a transfer of ₦10,000 or more.
- A subscription or bill payment you set up and forgot.
- A failed transaction that debited and will reverse.
If the line is a transfer or payment to a name you do not know, at a time you were not using the app, treat it as unauthorised and move straight to the steps below.
Steps: what to do in the first hour
- Freeze the account. Call PalmPay and ask for the account to be frozen or restricted. The Google Play listing (September 2026) gives 018886888, with 02018886888 in a developer reply, and support@palmpay.com. Use only these or the in-app help, not numbers found in comments.
- Reset access. If you can still log in, change your transaction PIN and login password. If you cannot, tell PalmPay so they can lock it.
- Secure your SIM. If your phone has lost signal unexpectedly, someone may have swapped your SIM. Call your network from another phone.
- Report in writing. Send PalmPay the transaction details: amount, time, recipient name and account, session ID, and a clear statement that you did not authorise it. Ask for a ticket number.
- Contact the receiving bank. If the money went to another bank, call that bank's fraud line with the session ID. It may be able to place a hold.
- Report to the police. A police report supports your complaint and any later claim.
Our guide to the first hour after fraud covers the same steps for any bank account, and reporting to the police and EFCC explains how to file.
Why speed decides whether money comes back
Stolen money is usually moved on quickly, often through several accounts, to make it harder to recover. A receiving bank can freeze what is still in the first account it reaches; once it has been withdrawn or moved on, there is little left to hold. A report within minutes has a real chance; a report the next day often does not.
What PalmPay will look at
When you dispute an unauthorised debit, the provider investigates how it happened. The questions usually include:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Was the transaction made from your registered device? | A new device suggests your login was taken over |
| Was your PIN or a one-time code used? | Determines whether credentials were shared or stolen |
| Did you report promptly? | Delays weaken a claim |
| Was your SIM swapped? | Points to a network-level attack |
Under the CBN's 2021 mobile money framework, as summarised by Mondaq, mobile money operators must resolve customer complaints within 48 hours. That covers the response to you; recovery of the money depends on what the receiving bank can still hold. Whether a provider refunds you depends on the facts; see will your bank refund you after fraud?
Worked example: two debits at 2am
This is an example. Ibrahim wakes to see two transfers of ₦40,000 and ₦35,000 sent at 2.10am and 2.12am to an account he does not know. At 6.30am he calls PalmPay, the account is frozen, and he emails the details with both session IDs. He calls the receiving bank, which finds ₦35,000 still in the account and places a hold; the ₦40,000 had already moved on. He files a police report the same morning and follows up with both. Of ₦75,000 taken, ₦35,000 was held because he acted within hours.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome
Ask PalmPay for its findings in writing, including what it says happened and why it reached its decision. If you disagree, reply in the same ticket with any evidence it has not considered, such as proof you were elsewhere, a network letter confirming a SIM swap, or your police report. Keep every reference number. If the complaint stays unresolved after PalmPay's own process, the CBN, as PalmPay's regulator, has a consumer complaints route for customers of the institutions it licenses. Keep copies of everything you send; this is information, not legal advice.
What to keep
- Screenshots of each unauthorised transaction with its session ID.
- The time you noticed and the time you reported each step.
- Ticket numbers from PalmPay and the receiving bank.
- Your police report extract.
After it is resolved
- Review your security settings and devices; our guide to PalmPay security settings lists what to turn on.
- Check other accounts that use the same phone number or email.
- Watch for follow-up scams: people who offer to recover your money for a fee are almost always fraudsters too.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme accounts use an authenticator app instead of SMS codes and a transaction PIN, which removes the SIM-swap route. Details are on the security page.
Questions people ask
My PalmPay account was hacked, what should I do?
Call PalmPay at once to freeze the account, change your PIN and password if you can, secure your SIM, report the transactions in writing and make a police report.
Can PalmPay refund money stolen from my account?
It depends on how the debit happened and how quickly you reported it. PalmPay investigates, and money can only be recovered if the receiving bank can still hold it.
How do I block my PalmPay account?
Call PalmPay's helpline or use the in-app help and ask for the account to be frozen. The Play listing gave 018886888 and support@palmpay.com in September 2026.
Why is there a debit on my PalmPay I don't recognise?
Check the description first: it may be a savings deduction, loan repayment, stamp duty or a failed transaction. If it is a transfer you did not make, treat it as fraud.
Sources
- PalmPay - Smarter Way to Bank, Google Play listing (updated 24 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- The Regulatory Framework and Guidelines for Mobile Money Services in Nigeria, Mondaq (21 Jul 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.