The exponential rise of Sim swap fraud has left many Kenyans outraged and concerned about their personal security.
Subscribers to Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom are demanding that the telcos improve their authentication and security mechanisms to prevent Sim swap fraud, which has seen crooks steal from bank accounts.
A Sim swap occurs when fraudsters replace and take over a customer's line, according to Safaricom's official website. This is one of the crimes classified as identity theft.
Once fraudsters have access to a Sim, they can intercept notifications, online banking profiles, and transactions, and modify account security settings.
To combat this, Safaricom advises users to ensure their Sim card has an active Sim lock, use unique passwords, and avoid sharing personal data online.
Additionally, Kenyans can activate anti-swapping by dialing 100100#, which requires users to present themselves physically at a Safaricom shop to swap their SIM card.
