MTC unable to protect against scams

With an increase in banking fraud, and scammers targeting online transactions, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) says it is unable to protect consumers against online scamming activities.

This is according to MTC corporate affairs manager John Ekongo who was speaking during a media engagement at Ongwediva on Monday.

He said the company cannot fully protect consumers from the tactics used by fraudsters to obtain confidential information such as banking details, card information and one-time pins.

However, the company will continue to evolve its products, services and systems to try and stay ahead of fraudsters through development and introduction of world- class security systems and technologies, he said.

“Despite numerous (regular) warnings regarding this from the banks, MTC continues to receive complaints on a daily basis from consumers who were deceived into providing the confidential banking information to fraudsters. However, MTC cannot be held liable by anyone who falls prey to scammers because it involves thorough investigations by the police and we cannot open police cases on behalf of our customers,” he said.

He said MTC does not have a mandate to share customers’ personal information or go through their call logs to identify scammers without a court order.

“If the police come to us (MTC) and say we are looking for this person, we can then release their information as per the government’s mandate. However, as MTC the entity itself cannot take action against any individual who scams people without the police intervention. MTC cannot also follow up on those scamming people because it is outside our mandate. The police are the only ones who can follow up on scammers and possibly arrest them as well,” he said.

He further added that MTC – as per the government’s directive passed through the Cabinet – was mandated to register all SIM cards in an effort to minimise the rising number of scammers and any other criminal activities conducted through phones.

However, the mandate does not entirely involve taking action against scammers or following up on scamming activities without the involvement of the police, Ekongo said.

“If you realise that you are scammed, you need to report it to the police and the police will be able to follow it up. The SIM registration process was just to allow the police to obtain a court order and through the court order, the police can come to MTC and trace the scammers because all the information regarding criminal activities should go through the police first,” he said.

Ekongo further added that online criminal activities have declined from 65 to 20% over the years since the introduction of mandatory SIM registration.

He urged consumers to avoid sharing their personal information with strangers over the phone, adding that MTC will never call its customers to request for their personal or banking information.

Social activist Michael Amushelelo shared his dismay on the rising number of online scammers, saying scammers are getting out of hand as no action is taken against them.

“Scammers are getting out of hand in this country. What was the real purpose of having all the SIM cards registered if we still have scammers calling people and their numbers can’t be traced? Or is it the government that is busy scamming us,” he wrote on Facebook.

Another concerned consumer, Theodor Ndeutapo, says MTC and other mobile telecommunication companies should be able to trace any fraudulent activities on behalf of consumers because people are losing their hard-earned money through online scamming.

“Why did they register our SIM cards if people are still getting scammed everyday? Can MTC not trace these online scammers and take action against them because even if we report our cases to the police, nothing happens. No action is taken against these scammers. The banks are even worse because they will tell you to go to MTC and issue your complaints to them, who is supposed to protect us really?” he asks.

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia urges consumers to be wary of fraudulent calls and avoid sharing personal or banking information with anyone.

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