This archive report was first published on 18 May 2020.
On May 18, 2020, Safaricom introduced a new security feature to safeguard its customers from SIM card registration fraud.
The feature sends SMS notifications to customers when their ID number is used to register a new line without their consent.
The verification messages are sent from the number 707, inquiring whether the registration is valid.
Customers can respond with a 'yes' or 'no' to inform the agent whether to complete the registration process.
This new feature comes in response to a warning by the Communications Authority of Kenya about increased cases of fraud by some mobile phone users.
The authority has repeatedly warned Kenyans against smishing, a form of phishing that involves sending SMS texts purporting to originate from reputable companies to trick subscribers into revealing personal information.
