Telecos to block phones/devices used for fraudulent acts

Adnan Adams Mohammed

 

Telecommunication Network Companies in the country are currently collaborating with the regulator, National Communication Authority (NCA) to introduce a system that will detect fraudulent phone call and text message conversations and then block such phones and sim cards used for the act.

This is part of efforts to help the telecommunication industry players outsmart the ‘smart fraudsters’ who are constantly innovating and creating new ways to outwit tech industry players and consumers to deceive and dupe them.

According to the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication, the system will work harmoniously in such a way that, if the fraudulent conversation was done on a particular network sim card, let say MTN, then the network provider will block the phone from being able to use any MTN sim card again. Automatically, the other networks AirtelTigo, Vodafone, Glo will also block the phone to be dysfunctional from using any of their sim cards in that particular phone or device. So the phone will become ‘useless’, it cannot be used in Ghana again.

“And not only will we [telecos] block the device (phone) but when we detect that a particular Identification card has been used to register a sim card to perpetuate fraudulent acts, then we’ll block that ID too”, Kenneth Ashigbey, CEO of the Chamber told journalist at a press soiree in Accra when he spoke on the outlook for 2021 for the telecom industry players.

“So, hopefully towards the end of the year, that will be in motion. And also, next sim re-registration will happen to help in this effort.”