Telecom fraud attempts drop 10pc amid higher awareness

Despite the decline, two regions — Rukwa (4,394 cases) and Morogoro (3,586) — continue to account for nearly two-thirds of all incidents, underscoring persistent regional vulnerabilities in the fight against telecom-related fraud.

Among the mobile operators, Vodacom Tanzania managed to reduce the number the number of fraudulent attempts by six percent while Airtel managed to cut the number of such attempts by 40 percent.

Halotel managed to cut attempts by 21 percent. In contrast, TTCL’s reported cases surged by 34 percent while Yas remained largely unchanged.

According to TCRA Corporate Communications and Public Relations Manager Rolf Kibaja, the reduction in fraudulent attempts in the last quarter is the result of increased consumer awareness and joint anti-fraud campaigns conducted nationwide.

“There has been increased public and consumer awareness on network security through TCRA’s countrywide campaigns,” he said.Mr Kibaja cited the authority’s flagship campaign, SITAPELIKI, as a major contributor to the decline.

Conducted in partnership with mobile operators, the campaign educates users on identifying and reporting suspicious activities.

“Consumers are encouraged to be vigilant online by using secure personal identification numbers (PINS) in mobile money transactions and to protect them.”

Mr Kibaja also stated that, “They have also established responses to mobile provider inquiries made through short code 100 and encouraging consumers to report any fraudulent attempts through short code 15040”.

He added that consumers are also encouraged to use *106# in verifying registered SIM Cards and erase the ones they do not recognize.

Despite the overall decline, Rukwa and Morogoro remain the country’s major hotspots, together accounting for 64 percent of all cases. In Rukwa, most incidents were linked to TTCL and Halotel, while Vodacom and Yas dominated cases in Morogoro.

Dar es Salaam followed with 1,063 cases, while other regions such as Mbeya (641), Kilimanjaro (271) and Arusha (226) reported relatively fewer attempts.

Telecom expert and techpreneur Jones Mrusha noted that while the decline is encouraging, the tactics used by fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated.

”I can confirm these fraud incidents are widespread and I am personally a victim. The methods are constantly evolving. It initially began with simple SMS scams, like ‘send money to this number,’ which often tricked people who were already planning a payment,” he said

According to Mr Mrusha, fraudsters are increasingly using direct phone calls and WhatsApp hijacking to impersonate trusted contacts and solicit urgent money transfers.

“The reporting system is good, but it could be improved by introducing incentives for people who report fraudsters,” he added.

Mr Mrusha emphasised that, “We also need stronger collaboration between the government, TCRA and local cybersecurity experts — especially tech-savvy youngsters.

Their specific knowledge is the best weapon we have to effectively fight and stay ahead of these digital attacks on our economy.”

Overall, the decline in fraudulent attempts across most operators between June and September 2025 signals progress in Tanzania’s fight against telecom fraud.

The TCRA’s coordinated measures — including the deployment of real-time monitoring systems, stricter SIM card registration protocols and public education campaigns — appear to be paying off.

As the telecom industry continues to expand its digital services, maintaining vigilance and investing in advanced cybersecurity tools will be key to ensuring consumer protection and maintaining trust in Tanzania’s digital economy.