Pastor Ng'ang'a Loses KSh 630k to SIM Swap Fraudsters: "Ilitolewa Nakuru"

 

Pastor James Ng'ang'a of the Neno Evangelism Centre is the latest victim of SIM swap fraud that has seen hundreds of Kenyans lose thousands of shillings. Pastor Ng'ang'a lamented after losing KSh 630,000 to fraudsters. The cleric disclosed that he lost a whopping KSh 630,000 after his SIM was swapped and money withdrawn at an M-Pesa shop in Nakuru. In a video seen by TUKO.co.ke, Pastor Ng'ang'a said he had reported the incident to the police and was under investigation. The pastor said the money was withdrawn in tranches by the same fraudsters.  "They swapped under my name James Maina. First, they withdrew KSh 35,000, then KSh 40,000. The next day, they withdrew again from the same shop in Nakuru. I have just recorded a statement to the police. KSh 630,000. Something is wrong somewhere," he lamented. What is a SIM swap? SIM swap is one of the tricks scammers use to steal money from unsuspecting Kenyans. Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Allan Lwala, a cybersecurity expert, said the process involves replacing the victims' SIM card information without their permission The culprits then withdraw all funds from mobile money accounts and may even apply for mobile loans using the victims' information. "These are challenging times, with people in need of money. This situation makes both the fraudsters and their victims vulnerable.  We willingly do not protect our own data. It is out there for people to get. It's like how Superman wears his undies on top of his costume. Most likely this (Pastor Ng'ang'a's) SIM is a "communal" line, so people might have had his PIN. That's all that's needed to authenticate," Lwala explained. Safaricom explained that after registering an existing number on a new SIM card, fraudsters intercept notifications, one-time passwords, online banking profiles, and transactions and change the account security settings. "To avoid this disastrous activity, it is key to ensure your SIM card has an active SIM lock, use strong passwords and keep personal information off social media," the telco advised. 

by  Japhet Ruto