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Tips against SIM Swap Scammers as Nigerians Lose Billions

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Some Nigerians using mobile money transfer service have fallen victims to a recent scam involving mysterious swapping of SIM cards.

 

SIM swapping is a sophisticated form of fraud and falls under social engineering. Fraudsters will distribute phishing emails, trying to ascertain as much personal information from victims as possible.

 

After swapping sim cards, fraudsters then withdraw any money saved in the mobile cash account and can even apply for quick loans, leaving the owner counting losses by the time they regain control of their SIMs.

 

How it works

Your phone network will momentarily go blind without signal or Zero Bars and after a while a call will come through.

Sim-Cards.jpg

The person on the other side will tell you that he is calling from Airtel, MTN, 9mobile or Glo depending on your network and that there is a problem in your mobile network.

 

He will instruct you to Please press 1 on your phone to get the network back.

 

If you press 1, the network will appear suddenly and almost immediately go blind again (Zero Bars) and by that action, your phone is #HACKED.It will appear as though your line is without network; meanwhile your SIM has been SWAPPED.

 

It is increasing by the day. Within a second they will empty your bank account and cause you enough damage. The danger here is that; you will not get any alert of any transaction.

 

 

Safeguarding your information and device

For the scam to be successful, hackers need access to personal information. According to the National Fraud and Cybercrime Reporting Centre, this is usually achieved through purchasing a victim’s details from organised crime networks, which harvest your information via Trojan malware, and by scraping it from the public domain (social media). Your best defence is, therefore, to defend these potential access routes through:

 

  • Ensuring that all your devices have adequate firewall/anti-virus protection. There are a number of efficient, free options.
  • Only downloading programmes, apps and information from known and trusted sources. Hackers will attempt to trick you into downloading their phishing software.
  • Before entering your bank details ensure that the site is what it says it is. Scammers will create duplicate sites to steal your information. A site’s details are usually accessed via the padlock on the browser bar.
  • Keeping personal information, which may be used to answer security questions off social media (e.g. birth date, first pet, first school).
  • Using strong passwords. A strong password is around 12 characters and need not be a string of letters and numbers.

So, while you might have a whole host of defences guarding your computer, don’t neglect to protect your mobile as well. If you’ve got personal data on your phone then it’s just another opportunity for hackers to break in and swipe your data, especially as they know it’s something people often overlook. Take the same precautions you would with any other electric device that holds personal information and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.

 

NCC/ Expert Angle

Tony Ojobo, director, Public affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), acknowledged the existence of SIM Swap fraud and explained that it is a criminal act which is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies.

 

“SIM swap fraud is a criminal matter. What NCC investigate and sanction are issues around regulatory breaches and issues that contravenes terms of operators’ license. Just as if banks identify any of their staff that collude with fraudsters to perpetrate fund such persons are arrested and handed over to the police to prosecute and punish,” he said.

Responding to this Oluseyi Akindeinde, chief technical officer, Digital Encode, said that SIM swap is not new. “A lot of the perpetrators have insiders in the telecommunications operator that allow them to do this. Nothing really can be done to check it unless they checkmate the guys inside the telcos,” he said.

 

William Makatiani, managing director, Serianu, said that SIM swap has become a lucrative enterprise in Africa particularly because of the increased adoption of mobile money services and mobile based authentication.

 

“Attackers gather enough information on a target such as ID details; Phone numbers etc through social engineering and create a false identity. Using this information, the attackers can contact the service provider and request for SIM card replacement and thereafter start transacting using your phone.

 

 


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WIOCC’s Strategic Role in Addressing Subsea Cable Outages

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WIOCC, Africa’s digital backbone, is leading the continent’s response to the cable cuts currently affecting the WACS, ACE, Main One and SAT3 subsea systems on Africa’s western seaboard.

WIOCC’s highly resilient network, with hyperscale capacity on every major system is the largest in Africa and ideally placed to swiftly deliver restoration solutions to hyperscalers, fixed and mobile carriers, internet service providers and other clients, enabling them to quickly re-establish key traffic routes into, within and out of Africa, thereby minimising performance degradation for their end-customers.

According to Chris Wood, Group CEO of WIOCC, “Immediately the four subsea cables were severed off the coast of Cote d‘Ivoire our engineering, operations and field teams swung into action.

“They have been working tirelessly for the last 48 hours with our strategic network partners and equipment suppliers and will, within the next 24 hours, have activated an unprecedented additional 2 Terabits per second (Tbps) of capacity across the unaffected cables in our network to support the capacity needs of other network operators and hyperscalers.

“Our clients connected directly at Open Access Data Centres (OADC) data centres in South Africa and Nigeria are already protected from the impact of the subsea outages due to the unique levels of redundancy and scale of the WIOCC core backbone.

“In Lagos, the Equiano cable, in which WIOCC owns a fibre pair, has not been affected by the incident off Cote d‘Ivoire. WIOCC lands the cable directly into the OADC data centre, establishing the most resilient digital ecosystem hub in Lagos and offering the most direct connectivity to Europe and South Africa.

“As a result, OADC’s data centres and WIOCC’s hyperscale network are playing a key role in restoring services to other facilities and operators currently suffering outages in Lagos and elsewhere on the continent.”

“Our priority is to ensure minimal disruption and maximum resilience for our clients,” added Ryan Sher, Group Chief Operating Officer at WIOCC.

“We have invested heavily in deploying diverse, highly-scalable national and international connectivity to support the uptime requirements of our wholesale client base. Investing at scale means that we consistently carry extra capacity, ensuring we are able to rapidly turn up or re-route capacity to address unexpected network disruptions.

“It also enables us to deploy short-term restoration solutions for other operators on a case-by-case basis. Any service provider affected by these outages, whether an existing WIOCC client or not, is encouraged to contact us to explore options.”

WIOCC’s policy of strategic deployment of converged, open-access digital infrastructure at a hyperscale level and delivery of unrivalled resiliency, enables it to meet and anticipate the needs of Africa’s wholesale community with sufficient scale and network diversity to address even the most challenging situations.


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Voice, Data Services Affected by Undersea Cable Cuts Restored – NCC

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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that the recent Undersea Cable Cuts that affected Voice, Data Services have now been restored.

Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC

 

The commission in a statement released on Monday and signed by Reuben Muoka, Director, Public Affairs, said that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.

According to him, “following the disruption on March 14, 2024, which affected data and voice services due to cuts in undersea fibre optics along the coasts of Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal, we are pleased to announce that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.

“All operators who were impacted by the cuts have taken recovery capacity from submarine cables which were not impacted by the cuts, and have thus recovered approximately 90% of their peak utilisation capacities.

“Mobile Network Operators have assured the Commission that data and voice services would operate optimally pending full repairs of the undersea cables as they have managed to activate alternative connectivities to bring back the situation to normalcy.

“We extend our appreciation to telecom consumers for their patience and understanding during the downtime caused by the undersea fibre cuts,” he concluded.


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IIM United Kingdom Inducts new Members, Highlights the Power of Intelligent Technologies

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Institute of Information Management (IIM) United Kingdom successfully hosted its highly anticipated Annual Convention and 47th Induction/Investiture ceremony on March 9, 2024, at the Wesley London Euston.

Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, president/chairman-Governing Council, Institute of Information Management (IIM) Africa

The event, held under the theme “AI Renaissance: Unleashing the Power of Intelligent Technologies,” brought together distinguished professionals, thought leaders, and industry experts from various sectors.

The convention commenced with a thought-provoking Welcome Address and Keynote Speech delivered by Amb. (Dr) Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole FIIM, ERMS, RMEMS, FIRMS, the esteemed international President of the Institute of Information Management (IIM) Africa. His address set the tone for insightful discussions and collaborative engagements throughout the event.

Among the notable highlights was the Inauguration and Taking of Oath of Office by Acting Vice President of IIM United Kingdom Chapter, Prof. Rotimi Jaiyesimi, FIIM, who assumed the role in an acting capacity following his recent appointment by the IIM Africa Board.

A significant announcement was made during the convention regarding the launch of a single global annual Convention starting in 2025. 

“This groundbreaking initiative”, according to Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, president/chairman-Governing Council, Institute of Information Management (IIM) Africa, “will unite all IIM Africa Global Chapters for the Convention, induction, and investiture, streamlining the event into a singular, impactful gathering. The announcement, made by Aisha Dania Ogieriakhi, FIIM, Director of IIM United Kingdom Chapter, marks a new era of collaboration and cohesion within the IIM community”.

The convention attracted a diverse array of attendees, including dignitaries, traditional rulers, captains of industry, and professionals from various backgrounds. Notable guests included Chief Bimbo Roberts Folayan, FIIM – Former Chairman (2011-2015) Central Association of Nigeria in the United Kingdom (CANUK), Cllr. Sunny Lambe, FIIM – Southwark Labour and Cooperative Councilor, Michaelene Holder-March, FIIM – Managing Director of MHM Health Consultancy Ltd, His Highness Papa Paul Jones Eganda, FIIM – Founder and the President of AIDO Network International, Chief (Dr) Richmond Macgrey, FIIM – Representative & Public Relations Minister of His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, (Olu of Warri) in the Diaspora and others.

Throughout the event, discussions revolved around key themes such as the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, the ethical implications of intelligent technologies, and the role of information management in shaping the future.

A highlight of the convention was the induction of new members into the Honorary Fellowship Grade and Professional Fellowship Grade, recognizing their exemplary contributions to the field of data and information management. Additionally, the collaboration between IIM and the International University of Information Management (IUIM) resulted in the conferment of Honorary Doctorate Degree Awards to deserving professionals and achievers in society, adding a prestigious dimension to the event. 

Both sessions were anchored by the duo of Antoinette R. Okoye and Olufemi Ibiwoye, a fixed specialist at BT Enterprises PLC London, England, United Kingdom.

One memorable moment came from Julliet Makhapila, a Community Transformer, Changemaker, Innovator, and Social Impactor from the United Kingdom, who volunteered to extend the IIM Africa initiative to her home country of Kenya, further expanding the institute’s reach and impact.

The convention provided ample networking opportunities and special activities for attendees, fostering meaningful connections and collaborations among participants.

Co-hosted by IIM Africa and the International University of Information Management (IUIM), the 2024 Annual Convention epitomized the mission and goals of the Institute of Information Management, serving as a platform for knowledge sharing, professional development, data leadership development and overall community building leveraging on access to quality data for effective decision making in both public and private establishments.

As the convention concluded, the main takeaways included maintaining a vibrant community of professionals, sharing best practices, and nurturing collaborative efforts to advance the field of data and information management.


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