FNB one time pin (OTP) problem

[duncan drennan]

Is anyone experiencing any problems with FNB's online banking? I've not been receiving my one time pin (OTP) since sometime last week, which means I can't add any new suppliers, which means I can't pay any new suppliers

Anyone else having this problem?

[Dave A]

Is this for OTP by email, Duncan?

[duncan drennan]

No, via text message. I've been on the phone to them, and I'm waiting for a call back. They are just trying to figure out whether it is on their side, or the service providers (i.e. MTN/Vodacom).

[duncan drennan]

After quite a bit of backwards and forwards with FNB (the guy I dealt with was very helpful, and came back to me with info whenever he received it), it seems that there is some problem which is affecting certain MTN subscribers.

It is still not resolved, but they are keeping me up to date.

[Dave A]

Maybe somebody reported them for SMS spam and some filter has kicked in...

Don't mind me, just musing out loud

[duncan drennan]

At one point I was contemplating what my options were to create the fastest action from them. I thought I could right a letter threatening legal action due to fraud. If they can't figure out what is wrong I could only assume that there must be some sort of fraudulent interception going on, which means that they or an employee must be party to fraud

Luckily the guy at FNB has been very helpful, so no need for that....yet

[Dave A]

there must be some sort of fraudulent interception going on,

I was trying not to bring that possibility up
Somehow, I find the idea of a spam filter more entertaining (and a little less ominous).

I'm on Vodacom, so I don't know how much this might help. But I have had occassions when an SMS has taken quite some time to get through. Like a couple of hours. I can't say it happens often (I just don't get that many SMS's anyway), but there has definitely been more than one occassion.

[duncan drennan]

Interesting solution....and problem.

I spoke to FNB again today, and was put through to someone who said they would follow up with their technical department and asked me to try another phone while they did. So I hauled out an old phone, and tada! message comes through. So this points to some issue with my phone (or some incompatibility).

The problem was with my Samsung D900. Everything with FNB and this phone was working fine up until about a week ago (I've had it since April).

Just got the call back from the lady, and she asked me to do the following: Got to Messages -> Settings -> Text Messages -> Block number. Now what I was surprised to see was that there was a number there...hmmm. Removed that number and tada! receiving text messages from FNB again (I figured out yesterday that ALL comms from FNB were not working.) The info came from someone in their IT development department.

So I don't know why, or how, but FNBs number was added to my Block Number list, and removing that solved the problem. No idea how it got there in the first place, but YAY problem solved.

UPDATE: okay, went through some of the options on my phone and figured out how this could have happened. The options menu for a text message for deleting, replying and so on, has an option "7. Add to block list" Obviously I accidentally pushed "7" while deleting an FNB message at some stage, and poof! no more FNB messages.

Hopefully this helps someone else in the future.

[Dave A]

Aha! An SMS spam filter problem (OK. I know I'm stretching it )

That's pretty interesting feedback right there. And it sounds like quite an easy mistake to make.

Thanks Duncan.

[duncan drennan]

That's pretty interesting feedback right there. And it sounds like quite an easy mistake to make.

Yes, and you press "4" to delete the message....now which number is just below "4" on a cell phone keypad...