How M-KOPA-Blocked Phones Can Still Receive Calls from Private Numbers

In a surprising twist, users have discovered that M-KOPA-blocked phones—typically restricted due to unpaid device loans—can still receive calls if the caller hides their number. This discovery has raised questions about how digital locking systems filter incoming communication.

When M-KOPA restricts a device, it usually disables certain features such as app usage, outgoing calls, and sometimes even receiving calls from regular numbers. However, when a call is made with a hidden caller ID (a “private number”), the phone appears to ring normally.

The reason? It's likely a loophole in the filtering system. Most blocking systems rely on detecting visible caller IDs to manage or block communication. But when someone hides their number, the system can’t match it to a known contact or blocklist — meaning the call slips through.

This behavior isn’t necessarily intentional. Rather, it reflects a limitation in how caller ID filtering works. If the blocking software is designed to allow “unknown” calls by default, then private numbers are automatically let through—even on locked devices.

For some users, this could serve as a clever workaround to stay in touch with friends or family using a locked M-KOPA phone. But for M-KOPA and similar digital lenders, it highlights the technical gaps in enforcing restrictions, especially as more financial services go digital.

As device financing continues to grow across Kenya and other African markets, such quirks in software-based enforcement may drive a new wave of innovation—or misuse.