Flutterwave, led by Nigerian tech millionaire Olugbenga Agboola, has rejected accusations in the media that it lost N11 billion ($7.25 million) due to a security compromise.
In response to the avalanche of claims, Flutterwave said that it discovered suspicious activity on one of its customer platforms in April 2024. The corporation maintains that it aggressively prevented any loss of customer monies.
As a security precaution, Flutterwave will contact select customers to move their accounts and recommends that all customers implement multifactor authentication, 3D security, and IP whitelisting.
This recent incident raises security worries for the corporation, which accepts payments in over 30 currencies from 40 countries. In March 2023, reports arose saying hackers stole N2.9 billion ($6.3 million) from Flutterwave. The corporation quickly rejected the charges, reaffirming its commitment to client fund protection.
Flutterwave was ordered by a Nigerian court to recover N19 billion ($12.5 million) for unlawful POS transactions that affected 6,000 accounts across 35 banks and financial institutions. This came after a months-long inquiry into a technical malfunction that enabled the fraudulent transfers.
Olugbenga Agboola founded Flutterwave in 2016, and it has since been a forerunner in Africa’s ongoing payments revolution. The company, with headquarters in San Francisco and Lagos, is a notable success story in the continent’s developing fintech sector.
Flutterwave entered the Rwandan and Egyptian markets in 2023, which was a golden year for expansion. It formed a strategic relationship with IndusInd Bank Ltd., a top Indian financial services provider.
The corporation announced a $50 million investment in the Kenyan market to secure an operating license. These results highlight Flutterwave’s twin goals of transforming Africa’s payments ecosystem and developing a foothold in international markets.
In 2023, Flutterwave formed a strategic relationship with Microsoft, founded by American billionaires Bill Gates and Paul Allen. This effort intends to empower at least 10 million small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) across Africa, with a concentration on Nigeria.
The partnership harnesses the power of the fintech sector to boost economic growth and improve people’s lives by promoting financial inclusion. This collaboration expands on the two companies’ current technological arrangement, which was signed earlier in 2023.
