The advent and adoption of debit or ATM cards have made it easy for us to do certain banking transactions - from making payments to merchants online to fund transfer and making cash withdrawal without stepping a foot into the banking hall; the benefits of debit/ATM cards are obviously there for all to see. However, as these cards are valuable in the hands of an individual who has a legal possession of one or more (of them), so are they useful to unscrupulous individuals who are out to rob an unsuspecting carrier.
The common factor, of course, is money, and since this legal tender [which makes obvious needs elude you] is involved, it behooves that anyone who has a possession of a debit/ATM card will, no doubt, treasure it to a great extent. It is for this reason one has to be careful about guarding his/her card from getting into the hands of a person - a third party - with malicious intentions.
Notwithstanding, in case you eventually lose your card or peradventure, it gets stolen, you have to act very fast so that you do not end up losing it all - your hard-earned money. Plus, do not let the fact that you have never revealed your password to a third party give you a ‘false sense of security‘ that the cash in your account will be intact as fraudsters might use your card to make online payments on merchant sites that do not require your password or OTP to complete a particular transaction.
Hence, I have elected to share how you can go about blocking your debit card - with respect to the bank that may be involved - in this article. So, read on to see the code or number that will address your need in case your card gets missing.
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Access Bank: CALL: +2341-2712005-7; +2342802500; 07002255222377.
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Ecobank: Send STOP [SPACE] [Account number linked to the card] to 08063262265 OR CALL: +2347005000000.
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Fidelity Bank: Dial
*770*911#OR CALL: +23414485252; +234800344335489.
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First Bank of Nigeria Plc: SMS BLOCK to 30012 from your registered phone number OR CALL: 0700347782668228.
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First City Monument Bank (FCMB): Dial
*329#OR CALL: +234(01)2798800. -
Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB): Dial
*737*51*10#OR CALL: +2348039003900; +2348029002900. -
Heritage Bank: CALL: +234-1-236-9000.
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Keystone Bank: CALL: +234-1-448-5742; +2347080605000.
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Polaris Bank: CALL: +2348069880000; 070075932265; +23414482100; +23412705850.
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Stanbic IBTC: Dial
*909#OR CALL: 014222222; 070022557826242. Optionally, you SMS BLOCKCARD [SPACE] NUBAN[linked to the card] to 30909.
- Sterling Bank: Dial
*822#OR CALL: 070078375464.
- Union Bank of Nigeria: Send BLOCKCARD [SPACE] NUBAN[linked to the card] to 20123.
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United Bank for Africa (UBA): Dial
*919*10#OR CALL: +2347002255822. -
Unity Bank: CALL: +2347080666030.
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Wema Bank: CALL: +2348039003700.
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Zenith Bank: Dial 96660# OR CALL: 0700286936484.
Alternatively, you can also block your missing/stolen ATM card through your bank’s mobile banking app or internet banking platform. However, it has to be emphasized here that your move towards securing your account after losing your debit card should not end with the blockage of the card through the phone alone. You should follow this up by visiting the nearest branch of your bank to request for a new (debit/ATM) card and also confirm that the stolen/lost card has been rendered ‘inactive’.