Telecommunications companies have agreed to take drastic measures to combat mobile money fraud in the country.
During a media appearance on Friday, Selorm Adadevoh, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, announced that mobile money fraudsters’ numbers and devices will now be blocked across all networks.
According to him, the decision, which was announced two months ago, will aid in combating the practice.
“As a result, as a Chamber, we have come together to ask, ‘How do we intensify or increase the barriers to fraud?’ And blocking the device across all networks is one step toward that goal for us.
“This is one of the activities on which we are currently focused, and we have implemented it through the chamber,” he explained.
Ghana had over 11 million active mobile money accounts by 2017.
However, incidents of mobile money fraud have recently increased. According to data from the Ghana Police Service’s cybercrime unit, there were over 300 reported cases in 2019.
As a result, MTN, Ghana’s largest mobile money operator, has implemented a new policy. Before a customer can withdraw cash, he or she must show proof of identity (ID).
A driver’s license, voter’s ID, passport, Social Security and National Insurance Trust ID, National Health Insurance card, or Ghana card are all acceptable forms of identification (national ID).