How we protect your money, and how to protect yourself
Most losses in Nigerian banking are not break-ins. They are someone being talked into handing over a PIN, an OTP or a transfer. This page sets out what Viscount does to keep your account safe, what we will never ask you for, the scams in circulation, and exactly what to do if something goes wrong.
Five things Viscount will never do
If anyone claiming to be from Viscount does any of these, they are not from Viscount. End the conversation and report it on the support portal.
- 1Ask for your PIN, password, OTP or full card detailsNot by phone, message, email, form or in person. Not to "verify", "reactivate" or "upgrade" anything.
- 2Call, text, email or DM you for supportSupport happens only at support.viscountbank.com. We have no customer-care phone line, WhatsApp, Telegram or social media inbox.
- 3Send you a link to "update your BVN" or "unblock your account"Your BVN does not expire. Account changes happen inside the app, never through a link in a message.
- 4Ask you to move money to a "safe account"There is no such thing. A bank that suspects fraud freezes the account; it never asks you to transfer out of it.
- 5Ask you to install anything other than the Viscount appNo remote-access tools, no "security apps", no APK files sent by message. The only app is on the App Store and Google Play.
Layers of protection you don't have to think about
Security at Viscount is built into how the account works, not bolted on afterwards. These are the controls that apply to every customer.
- Two-factor on every sensitive actionTransfers above your limit, new beneficiaries, device changes, PIN changes and card reveals all require a second factor. Card details auto-hide after thirty seconds.
- Your account is bound to your deviceLogging in on a new phone requires verification, and you are notified on the old one. You can see and remove every device that has access from the app.
- Limits and locations you setDaily and single-transaction caps, business-hours and weekend blocks, and allowed locations. The bank enforces the line you drew, and a payment outside it is held.
- Monitoring around the clockTransactions are screened for unusual patterns as they happen, under the CBN's anti-fraud and anti-money-laundering rules. An unusual payment may be held for a check before it leaves.
- Cards you can switch offFreeze and unfreeze in a tap, separate limits for ATM, POS and online, and a switch to turn online payments off entirely when you are not using them.
- Data encrypted and kept to a minimumPersonal and transaction data is encrypted at rest and in transit and processed under the Nigeria Data Protection Act. We collect what the account needs and never sell it.
Six habits that stop almost every scam
None of these take more than a minute. Together they close the doors that fraudsters actually use.
Keep your PIN and OTP to yourself
Nobody legitimate needs them: not Viscount, not the police, not a delivery company, not a friend who "just needs to check something". An OTP is the key to your money.
Use the app, not links
Anything about your account happens inside the Viscount app or on viscountbank.com. If a message contains a link about your account, delete it and open the app instead.
Set limits lower than you need
A daily cap you can raise in the app when you genuinely need it costs you nothing and turns a compromised account into a small loss instead of a large one.
Lock your phone and your SIM
A device PIN or biometric, and a SIM PIN from your network, mean a stolen phone is a phone and not a bank. Enable both today.
Read every alert
We notify you of every transaction, login and device change. If you see one you did not make, freeze your card and open a ticket immediately; minutes matter.
Check the name before you pay
The app shows the account name before every transfer. If it does not match who you think you are paying, stop. This one habit defeats most invoice and marketplace fraud.
What they look like right now
These are the patterns we see most often. The details change; the shape does not.
| The approach | How it works | The tell |
|---|---|---|
| Fake customer care | An account on X, Instagram or WhatsApp using Viscount's name replies to a complaint and asks you to "verify" with your PIN or card details. | Viscount has no customer-care presence on social media or messaging apps. Support is only at support.viscountbank.com. |
| "Your account will be blocked" | An SMS or call says your BVN or account is about to be suspended and gives a link or number to "reactivate". | BVNs do not expire and accounts are not reactivated by link. Open the app; if the account works, the message is a lie. |
| The safe account | A caller claiming to be the bank or the police says your account is compromised and you must move the money somewhere "safe". | No bank or authority ever asks you to move money. A bank that suspects fraud freezes; it does not transfer. |
| The fake transfer screenshot | A buyer shows a screenshot of a "successful" payment that never arrived and pressures a seller to release goods. | Trust only your own alert or the virtual terminal, never the payer's screen. Businesses: see the virtual terminal page. |
| SIM swap | A fraudster obtains a replacement SIM in your name so that OTPs go to them instead of you. | Your phone loses network for no reason. Set a SIM PIN, and contact your network at once if service drops unexpectedly. |
| Loan-app impersonation | An app or page using Viscount's name offers instant loans in exchange for a "processing fee" paid upfront. | Viscount never charges a fee before disbursement; every fee is deducted from the loan on the offer letter, never paid in advance. |
| Remote access | A caller asks you to install a screen-sharing or "security" app so they can "fix" a problem. | We never ask you to install anything but the Viscount app from the official stores. Remote access means they control your phone. |
Do these four things, in this order
Whether you shared an OTP, lost your phone, saw a transaction you did not make or sent money to a fraudster, the first steps are the same, and speed matters more than anything else.
Freeze your card and lock your account
In the app: Cards, then Freeze. Then Settings, then Lock account. If you cannot get into the app, go straight to step 2.
Open a ticket marked "Fraud"
At support.viscountbank.com, choose the Fraud or compromised account category. It is prioritised; you will hear back within minutes, 7am to 8pm WAT every day. Say exactly what happened and when.
Change what was exposed
Once the account is secure, change your PIN and password in the app and remove any device you do not recognise. If your SIM was swapped, get it reversed with your network.
Let us trace and dispute
We will attempt to hold or recall funds where the receiving bank can act, log a dispute, and report the receiving account to the industry fraud desk. You will receive a reference and updates on the ticket.
Under the CBN's Consumer Protection Framework you have the right to dispute an unauthorised transaction and to escalate to the CBN's Consumer Protection Department if we have not resolved it within fourteen working days. We will tell you the outcome of every dispute in writing.
How to check
Fraudsters rely on you not knowing what the genuine bank looks like. Here is what it looks like.
- WebsitesOnly viscountbank.com and support.viscountbank.com. Look at the address bar, not the logo. Anything else, including look-alike spellings, is not us.
- The appPublished by Viscount Microfinance Bank Limited on the Apple App Store and Google Play only. Never install it from a link, a message or an APK file.
- SupportTickets at support.viscountbank.com, answered in 5 to 30 minutes between 7am and 8pm WAT. We do not call, text, email, WhatsApp or DM you to offer support, and we do not have a customer-care phone number.
- AlertsTransaction and login alerts come through the app and by SMS from our registered sender. They tell you what happened; they never ask you to do anything or click anything.
- The licenceViscount Microfinance Bank Limited, CBN MFB code 051126, deposits insured by the NDIC. Any of that can be checked with the regulator.
Found something? Tell us before you tell anyone else.
If you believe you have found a vulnerability in the Viscount app, website, API or infrastructure, we want to hear from you and we will not pursue anyone who reports in good faith.
- Report through the support portal under the Security disclosure category; it is routed to the security team, not customer service
- Do not access, modify or exfiltrate customer data, and do not test against accounts that are not your own
- Give us reasonable time to fix the issue before any public disclosure
- We acknowledge every report, tell you what we did, and credit researchers who want to be credited
About security at Viscount
Will I get my money back if I am defrauded?+
Why did a payment get held?+
Someone is using Viscount's name on social media. What should I do?+
Does the app work if I have lost my phone?+
How is my data protected?+
Is my money safe if Viscount itself is attacked?+
Seen something suspicious?
A message, a call, a fake page, a transaction you did not make. Open a ticket and choose the Fraud category. It is prioritised, 7am to 8pm WAT every day.
