Safaricom Introduces 707 SMS Feature to Stop Subscriber Fraud

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Safaricom PLC has announced the introduction of a Short Message Service (SMS) to protect users against subscription fraud.

According to the telco, through the 707 messages, a user will be alerted when someone tries to register a new SIM card with their ID number.

In case it is not you, you will reply with No, and the registration will be stopped.  The issue is then escalated to the Safaricom Risk Assessment team that will follow up and eventually block the line used for this fraudulent activity.

The registration of the secondary line will not take place.

Subscriber fraud occurs when a scammer signs up for cellular service with fraudulently obtained customer information.  As a result, the fraudster uses this personal information to create your fake ID, impersonate you

In Kenya, the growing use of mobile banking has exposed users to different kinds of fraud. There have also been reports of people losing money to SIM swap. 

“All these they do through Social engineering: This is where customers are tricked/ manipulated into revealing personal details of their line to fraudsters, then a swap of the line is done or where a customer is tricked into sending money to a fraudster,” says Safaricom.

To protect yourself from frauds, never disclose confidential information, and be alert about your mobile phone connections.

Friday, Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested a local bank employee and two students in a suspected crime syndicate.  The DCI recovered 400 mobile sim cards, eight National Identification Cards (ID), two laptops, and four mobile phones were recovered from the trio during the operation.

The local bank employee was identified as Kevin Oroko, a Software Developer alongside the two students Ian Kinanga and Jefferson Bosire.