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Kenya has the largest number of people in the world. mobile money users in the world
Mobile phones in Kenya are like bank accounts – some people keep all their savings on their phones – and fraudsters try to hack them to steal money.
Sammy Wanaina received a text on Sunday asking him to provide the secret personal code so that his SIM card could be exchanged.
He was confused, he had not asked for a new card – and a few moments earlier, he had completed a call that he now realized due to a fraudster who had "I did not no details, "Wanaina told the BBC.
He immediately contacted Safaricom, his mobile service provider, to report to him that he suspected that there was an attempted fraud on his number.
Although he did not disclose his contact details – and reported fraud to Safaricom – he completely lost access to his number and regained control that he did not. after three days.
He tweeted that all the experience had scared him. Twitter post by @sammy_ynwa
I was completely puzzled and scared.
I know that a SIM exchange can not be done without: – Myself present in a Safaricom store or authorized agent, – Without my identity card, – Without my PIN, – Without knowledge of the details of my transactions, eg last called numbers, last recharge, etc.
M. Wanaina says that Safaricom contacted After his complaint, he gave him a new SIM card as a precaution – without giving more details on how he lost access to his number.
The company tweeted to tell him that he was "…"
"I lost $ 18,000"
His story prompted him to 39; other people to share their experiences – many of whom had lost money in the scam.
This fraud is profound than what you write in this notice and crosses many institutions, including banks. I have undergone a SIM card exchange without ever sharing my details. @DCI_Kenya @CA_Kenya have the power to STOP if they wish
The politician Stanley Wanjiku revealed that he had been trapped by fraudsters, losing $ 18,000 (£ 14,000).
He told the Daily Nation newspaper that his troubles began after he received a notification that he could not access his mobile wallet. and he had to call a number to reset it – which he did.
Later, he learned that his identification number had been replaced and that a new one was being regenerated, so that he could not have access to his money. The newspaper did not say which service he had his account.
"I do not know how my mobile money Pin has been regenerated and distributed to outsiders, I do not know how they identified themselves," said Mr. Wanjiku, adding that a bank account unrelated to his mobile phone was also hacked.
More about mobile money:
Money by mobile: the M-Pesa revolution
Why the mobile wallet failed in South Africa
People often have multiple cards SIM of different companies and offers. This means that Sim cards are damaged, so it is not unusual for customers to want to replace them.
Kenya has the largest number of mobile money users in the world, a major reason alarm.
Nearly half of its 47 million residents use the dominant M-Pesa platform to pay for services and conduct business.
Through partnerships, the telephone companies have also been able to integrate mobile money services with banks, allowing customers to transfer money seamlessly.
William Makatiani, of the cyber security consulting firm Serianu, told the Daily Nation that the scam to hack mobile phones was becoming more and more common
"The Exchange of Cards has become a big problem especially in Nigeria since 2016. began picking up in Kenya in the last half of last year, "he was quoted as saying.
How to protect yourself
It is not clear exactly how the scam works, but this week the Kenya Communication Authority, the body that regulates the mobile phone industry, has told users to be on their guard:
Never give out personal information
Do not give your PIN number
Remove requests for financial information or pbadwords
Safaricom also urged customers to save their pbadwords, birthdates and national identity numbers.
He also stated that subscribers should be aware of his official customer service number so as not to be fooled by those trying to gain access to their account.
