In a bid to protect its customers against fraudsters and fraudulent activities, the Mobile Money Advocacy Group Ghana (MOMAG) has issued a warning to mobile phone users regarding fraudulent activities associated with SIM card registration.
The group in a release dated May 9, 2024 explained how “unscrupulous agents” use register SIM cards using the Ghana card other customers unbeknownst to the owners of the card.
Their trick is that they “will register two of the cards, with the excuse that the first one was not successful due to network challenges. They secretly keep the other cards and later use them for fraudulent activities or sometimes sell them at exorbitant prices to people without Ghana Cards,” MOMAG explained.
A large number of people who fall victim to these fraud MOMAG says are females.
“Incidentally, quite a greater number of the victims are females – Over 90% Again, some of our Ghanaian ladies who befriend some male of foreign nationals are coaxed into registering SIM Cards with their Ghana Cards. Some of these men will then use the SIM Cards to perpetrate fraudulent activities,” MOMAG added.
In light of this, the group has taken proactive measures by informing the “ National Communications Authority (NCA) on this issue in the year 2023, but no action has been taken yet. We humbly appeal to the NCA to take necessary action to protect citizens by curbing this menace. This, we believe, will prevent or reduce such fraudulent activities”.
MOMAG is ready to provide the numbers used by these fraudsters to the NCA to assist in any investigation.
“To nip this issue in the bud, we strongly suggest that the authorities take immediate action, by launching a public awareness campaign through electronic (radio and television) and print media to educate the public to shun the use of their Ghana cards to buy SIM cards for friends,” MOMAG added.
While they advised the public against leaving their damaged cards with MoMo agents, they also sent caution to these dubious agents involved in these unscrupulous acts.
“…the public should be educated to collect their damaged SIM cards from agents if they are told the card is damaged or gone bad during the registration process. What is more, we are sending a word of caution to these bad Agents, who are aiding the fraudsters by registering SIMs or selling “registered SIM Cards” (pre-registered) to them. We urge such Agents to stop such activities immediately. Should the association get hold of such bad agents, we would report them to the police to face the full rigours of the law”