{"id":113645,"date":"2025-10-22T16:18:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T16:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/awareness-about-fraud-is-africas-essential-firewall"},"modified":"2025-10-22T16:32:04","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T16:32:04","slug":"awareness-about-fraud-is-africas-essential-firewall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/awareness-about-fraud-is-africas-essential-firewall","title":{"rendered":"Awareness About Fraud Is Africa’s Essential Firewall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Global losses to scams are now estimated at more than one trillion dollars a year. The United Nations warns that hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into Southeast Asia to operate online fraud networks, many disguised as call centers or customer service firms.<\/p>\n

Their victims are everywhere, on messaging apps, in email inboxes, and increasingly, inside Africa\u2019s fast-growing mobile economy.<\/p>\n

At this year\u2019s Mobile World Congress (MWC) Kigali, a central theme cut through the flash of AI demos and 5G banners: trust. Panels that once revolved around connectivity and innovation are now equally focused on the darker reality of what digital growth invites.<\/p>\n

During the Security Summit, industry leaders from Airtel, MTN, Ethio Telecom, Ecobank, FraudBuster, and Rwanda\u2019s National Cyber Security Authority gathered to dissect how the region is handling the surge in digital fraud \u2014 and what can be done to fight back.<\/p>\n

Jean Claude Gaga, Managing Director of Airtel Mobile Commerce Rwanda, opened with a story that drew quiet laughter before landing its warning. \u201cSomeone bought a doughnut,\u201d he said, \u201cand realized the paper wrapping was their own printed CV from a job application.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a vivid metaphor for how casually data is handled and how easily it falls into the wrong hands. For Gaga, the doughnut story is a reminder that in the digital era, identity can be traded, printed, and recycled just as quickly as paper.<\/p>\n

Fraud, he explained, rarely begins with sophistication. It begins with familiarity \u2014 a friendly voice, a convincing text, or a number that looks right. \u201cSomeone might call pretending to be from your child\u2019s school or your bank,\u201d he said. \u201cThey sound professional. You follow their instructions. Then the money is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Until recently, Rwanda\u2019s telecom sector wrestled with unregistered SIM cards circulating freely, creating an open door for fraudulent activity. But new regulations have since tightened the process. \u201cYou can\u2019t just walk in and buy a SIM card anymore,\u201d Gaga said. \u201cBiometric verification \u2014 face or fingerprint \u2014 is now required, and cards are activated only at authorized points.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, scammers adapt quickly. As their methods evolve, so must the defences. Airtel\u2019s latest weapon is an AI-powered detection system that doesn\u2019t read messages directly but studies behavior across the network. It looks for subtle patterns \u2014 repetitive SIM swaps, one-way message flows, erratic login attempts \u2014 and flags suspicious activity in real time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe system checks more than 250 indicators,\u201d Gaga said. \u201cIt works automatically and doesn\u2019t require any downloads. Everyone with an Airtel SIM is already protected.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company also introduced a SIM Swap API that alerts banks whenever a phone number linked to an account has recently been replaced \u2014 a favorite trick among cybercriminals. Since launching the API, Airtel reports that fraudulent account openings in participating banks have dropped to zero.<\/p>\n

FraudBuster, one of Airtel\u2019s long-time partners, operates behind the scenes for several African telecoms. The company uses machine learning to spot anomalies in mobile money transactions and block them before the losses accumulate.<\/p>\n

\u201cFraud is not just a technical issue,\u201d said Michael Houis, FraudBuster\u2019s Head of Sales. \u201cIt\u2019s a business crisis. When subscribers lose money, they lose trust, and they leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

He explained that modern financial fraud doesn\u2019t always look like hacking. Often, it\u2019s manipulation: small, repeated actions designed to exploit system incentives.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn one West African case,\u201d Houis said, \u201cwe detected 2.5 billion francs circulating through artificial transactions. Agents were creating fake cash-ins to earn false commissions. When we blocked the scheme, daily losses of about 280,000 francs stopped overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such examples illustrate the scale of the challenge. Fraud networks can be local or transnational, and they adapt faster than most systems can patch. That\u2019s why, for Rwanda, collaboration is just as critical as technology.<\/p>\n

Ghislaine Kayigi, Chief Cybersecurity Standards Officer at the National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA), underscored that point. \u201cTechnology helps us fight the symptoms,\u201d she said. \u201cBut awareness is what addresses the cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NCSA runs continuous training across schools, banks, and public institutions, teaching digital literacy and how to identify social engineering attempts \u2014 the kind that lure users into revealing passwords or one-time codes. \u201cWe remind people that scams do not only target the careless,\u201d said Kayigi, \u201cthey also target the connected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across the continent, countries are developing similar frameworks. Nigeria\u2019s Central Bank has launched a fraud monitoring portal, Kenya has integrated mobile wallets with national ID verification, and Ghana has introduced shared fraud databases between telecoms and banks. Rwanda\u2019s own cybersecurity standards are being recognized regionally as models for consumer protection.<\/p>\n

\u201cFraud isn\u2019t only a tech problem,\u201d Gaga noted. \u201cIt\u2019s a mindset problem. It\u2019s about how people use technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

His words resonated beyond the room. In the end, every click and confirmation remains a choice, a human decision within the machine logic of digital life. In a region as connected and ambitious as Africa, that awareness may be the strongest firewall yet.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Rwanda<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. Global losses to scams are now estimated at more than one trillion dollars a year. The United Nations warns that hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into Southeast Asia to operate online fraud networks, many disguised as call centers or customer service firms. Their victims are everywhere, on messaging apps, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":113644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[6033,8471,2664,3923,758,4790],"class_list":["post-113645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-cybersecurity","tag-digital-fraud","tag-mobile-money","tag-mobile-world-congress","tag-rwanda","tag-scams"],"yoast_head":"\nAwareness About Fraud Is Africa's Essential Firewall - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Global losses to scams are now estimated at more than one trillion dollars a year. 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