Despite mandatory subscriber identification module (SIM) registrations, Namibians face an increase in ‘vishing’ scams, with regulatory authorities, network providers and financial institutions continuing to urge customers to remain vigilant.
Vishing, or ‘voice phishing’, involves scammers using phone calls to deceive individuals into disclosing sensitive information, transferring money or granting account access. This technique relies mostly on psychological manipulation.
Consumers frequently lose money and sensitive information to these scams, with police reports regularly confirming ongoing incidents. In the past two weeks, the police documented two cases where individuals were defrauded by vishing scams.
Authorities including the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran), the Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and the Bank of Namibia (BoN) have emphasised that while new registration requirements improve accountability, they do not fully address advanced social engineering tactics.
Cran spokesperson Mufaro Nesongano notes that mandatory SIM registration is vital for linking SIM cards to verified identities but cannot completely eradicate scams.
He states that its main purpose is to equip law enforcemenNekundi stressed that MTC is not responsible when customers voluntarily give away their banking personal identification number, one-time password or identification details to scammers, despite mandatory SIM registration.
BoN spokesperson Josefina Oskar notes that SIM registration is just one aspect of a broader fraud prevention framework and does not alone prevent vishing or financial fraud.
“Fraudsters continue to exploit social engineering methods, and an effective response requires coordinated action by financial institutions, mobile network operators, Cran, law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders,” she says.
Oskar calls for collaboration to fortify fraud prevention via secure information sharing, advanced detection and intensified inter-agency cooperation.
“Together with SIM registration, these measures are important for strengthening the overall response to mobile-enabled financial fraud while respecting applicable legal, privacy and consumer protection requirements,” she notes.
She says there are no impediments within the bank’s framework that prevent efforts to combat financial fraud.
– Nampa
