Increase in islanders not receiving verification texts

Tuesday 05 March 2024

Local telcos have "united" in efforts to address an issue which has seen islanders unable to receive one-time passwords from banks or other online businesses via text message.

In a joint statement, Airtel-Vodafone, JT, and Sure reassured customers that these text messages are not being blocked by local operators.

One-time passwords or OTPs are short verification codes sent to users to approve a login or transaction, and are commonly delivered by text message.

Pictured: Banks and other online businesses often send users a code by text message to enable safe and secure login.

In the joint statement, the three local operators said: "We would like to assure customers that these OTPs are not being blocked by local operators, and telecom operators in the Channel Islands are united in their effort to address this issue.

"We are collating all relevant data and making every effort to contact the companies and their OTP delivery partners to highlight the growing problem of undelivered messages to our customers.

"All three major operators are making recommendations to these companies that would ensure delivery of the messages."

They added that if a user does not receive a one-time password, they should inform the relevant business directly.

Airtel-Vodafone, JT, and Sure added that most offer alternative verification methods such as email, app verification or call back.

"We recommend that you use these alternatives for immediate access in the short-term while we work with these businesses and OTP delivery partners to resolve their issues," they said.