Mobile money security in Africa my Airtel Money account was drained without my consent. Anyone else?

I am Tuyambazz Nzarura. I live in the DRC and I want to share what happened to me and ask if others have experienced the same.

A few months ago, I discovered that my Airtel Money account had been used for transactions I never authorized. No password was entered by me. No OTP. No consent. Nothing. The money was just gone. When I contacted Airtel Money customer service, they confirmed the transactions but told me the money was gone and they wouldn't reimburse me.

I later learned this was part of a broader fraud scheme using fake investment promises. The fraudsters used identity theft to make it look like I authorized the transfers, but I never did. This was a case of vitiated consent — I was deceived.

I filed a complaint with cybercrime authorities in Cameroon because MTN Cameroon was also involved in tracing the fraudster. They confirmed the person behind this has been known for years.

My question to this community: has anyone here successfully gotten a mobile money operator in Africa to take responsibility for unauthorized transactions? What worked for you? Did you have to go to court, or was there a regulatory body that helped?

I am not looking for sympathy, just practical advice from people who have dealt with telecom operators failing in their security obligations. Thanks.