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Safaricom raises alarm on SIM swap fraud

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Safaricom has urged customers to liaise with it and the police to prevent cases of interference with subscriber’s SIM cards. The mobile phone operator said it is liaising with security agencies to get to the bottom of a scam relating to fraudulent SIM card swapping in which identity theft and financial fraud are becoming prevalent.

“Safaricom remains committed to safeguarding customer information, and would like to reassure the public that we are working closely with security agencies to follow up this matter to its conclusion,” the company said on Friday in a statement.

The mobile phone service provider told customers to report suspicious incidents by calling 100 or 200, or by sending a text message to 333. “Customers should also report these cases to law enforcing agencies with urgency,” Safaricom added.

The giant telecoms statement comes in the wake of the Communications Authority sounding an alarm on the sim swap fraud that was draining money from many a mobile phone wallet.

The regulator said that fraudsters usually makes a call pretending to be an employee of a mobile network operator. When a mobile user picks the call, the fraudster then asks the unsuspecting mobile subscriber to share their Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as their national ID number, mobile money PIN, or SIM card PIN, among others.

“Never divulge any of your PINs to anyone, not even the mobile money service provider or agent,” CA Director General Francis Wangusi said in a statement on Thursday.

READ: TANZANIAN BILLIONAIRES WHO WANT TO BUY SAFARICOM

After obtaining the Personally Identifiable Information, the fraudster then goes ahead to swap the SIM card thereby gaining access to all the SIM services including mobile money transfer, mobile and internet banking, voice calls, SMS, data services and any other service that can be accessed through the SIM.

“Fraudsters want you to act first and think later. If the request conveys a sense of urgency, or uses high-pressure tactics be skeptical; never let their urgency influence your careful review,” Mr. Wangusi said.

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Safaricom warned its customers that it does not request customers for personal identification information.

“Safaricom does not ask for personal information, and only contacts customers through our official number – 0722 000 000. If called by anybody purporting to be a Safaricom customer care representative using a different number, you are advised to immediately end the call and dial our customer care line 100 or 200 for clarification and assistance.”

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Mike Njoroge
Mike Njorogehttp://www.businesstoday.co.ke
Mike Njoroge is the founder of Daystar Oracle and FootballTriangle. He is passionate about news, religion and sports. He can be reached at: [email protected]
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7 COMMENTS

  1. I have called Safaricom fraud lines from overseas ,numerous times for several months now(I know it is hard to believe), and no one answers the calls .One time i called Customer Service number,some one answered and gave him his WhatsApp number to call.I called that number,he answered and continued to ask me for personal information ,including my PIN number .I cut off the call and over the next 5 days he kept calling me for my PIN number.He eventually started colluding with the person I called to report,telling that person to keep pushing me for my PIN number .

    Yes ,an inside job is going on with this Safaricom employee stealing customers money ,then when one calls Safaricom to report fraud and SIM card swapping nobody answers.

    I am a Kenyan overseas and most frustrated with this lack of responsibility by safaricom

  2. I have called Safaricom fraud lines from overseas ,numerous times for several months now(I know it is hard to believe), and no one answers the calls .One time i called Customer Service number,some one answered and gave him his WhatsApp number to call.I called that number,he answered and continued to ask me for personal information ,including my PIN number .I cut off the call and over the next 5 days he kept calling me for my PIN number.He eventually started colluding with the person I called to report,telling that person to keep pushing me for my PIN number .

    Yes ,an inside job is going on with this Safaricom employee stealing customers money ,then when one calls Safaricom to report fraud and SIM card swapping nobody answers.

    I am a Kenyan overseas and most frustrated with this lack of responsibility by safaricom

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