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Adopt new technologies to fight Sim fraud: call
What you need to know:
- Airtel leads on fraudulent practice with 44 percent of all fraud incidents occurring in the quarter ending June 2023, Tigo follows closely with 33 percent and Vodacom with 18 percent while only 3 percent of frauds occurred in the TTCL network.
Dar es Salaam. Telecom and cybercrime experts and ordinary citizens have said it is time the government adopted new technologies that to significantly minimise Simcard fraud.
According to telecom experts, there are more than ten solutions that can help combat fraud although without guaranteeing their effectiveness in the Tanzanian context including two-factor authentication (2FA), biometric authentication, and PIN/password changes.
Others are educational campaigns, encrypted sim cards, enhanced verification procedures, blockchain technology, and regulatory measures.
A recent report by Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) released its quarterly report that ended June, Sim card-based fraud activities have witnessed an upsurge in certain regions.
The report indicated that fraudulent practices in percentage per region and Rukwa region are still leading with 38.7 percent, followed by Morogoro with 28.13 percent, Dar es Salaam with 12.91 percent, and Mbeya with 7.25 percent.
While Airtel leads on fraudulent practice with 44 percent of all fraud incidents occurring in the quarter ending June 2023, Tigo follows closely with 33 percent and Vodacom with 18 percent while only 3 percent of frauds occurred in the TTCL network.
Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, a telecom expert from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Dr Moses Ismail said the governments and TCRA could introduce and enforce stricter regulations to curb fraudulent activities and impose heavy penalties on those found guilty this is a less tech solution but could deter fraud a little bit.
“Please note that no solution is foolproof, and a combination of multiple measures is usually the most effective approach to combat telecom fraud.
“Encrypted Sim cards could be a part of this broader strategy, but their success would depend on their implementation, effectiveness, and user adoption,” he said.
