Fraud incidents decrease in Tanzania, but SIM card scams remain a major concern
The government’s introduction of biometric SIM card registration has aided in identifying subscribers, yet SIM card fraud remains an ongoing issue despite the efforts of regulators and mobile network operators to combat it.
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) recorded a total of 12,044 fraud incidents for the three months ending in March 2023, down from the 12,603 cases reported between October and December of the previous year. The government’s introduction of biometric SIM card registration has aided in identifying subscribers, yet SIM card fraud remains an ongoing issue despite the efforts of regulators and mobile network operators to combat it.
The regulator asserts that Tigo, is leading at 34% of all fraud instances. Airtel comes in second with 32% of the market, ahead of Vodacom (28%), and TTCL (3%). Geographically, the Rukwa region is leading with 45% of all instances, Morogoro is second with 18%, Dar es Salaam is third with 14%, and Mbeya is fourth with 7% of all incidents. The regions of Mwanza, Arusha, Dodoma, Pwani, and Kagera reported low incidences of between 1% and 3%, respectively.