Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Connect with us

Telecom

Beware Of Christmas Scams as Phone Thieves, Hackers On The Rise

Published

on

Kindly share this post

For many, Christmas is a period of giving and celebrating with loved ones.

Beware Of Christmas Scams as Phone Thieves, Hackers On The Rise

On the flip side, there is one group who are much more excited about these busy weeks than the celebration itself: beware to the fraudsters the run-up to Christmas is Christmas, TUNDE OGUNTOLA writes.

Phone theft in Nigeria appears to be on the rise, especially Androids and iPhones.

Perhaps, a more worrisome dimension is that some of the thieves are more interested in SIM cards than the phones.

Via access to SIM cards without SIM lock, they hack into the owner’s personal and confidential information such as BVN, and banking details and ultimately, end up defrauding them.

“I took my leave a few weeks ago and I decided to traveled to Lagos, to see my parents, though not my first time. With my back and overload of confidence as if my father is the governor of Lagos State or the popular Nigerian treasurer of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State, MC Oluomo.

“Shortly after our plane landed at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, I ordered a taxi to take me to Mile 12 Market to buy foodstuff for my parents. Everyone knows how Mile 12 Market can be very rowdy.

“Soon after buying the foodstuff. I was on my way to negotiate a taxi when a middle-aged man bumped into me, claiming he knows that I look like his cousin, and he instantly apologized for the mix-up.

“A moment later, I noticed he had stolen my phone already. I don’t like to talk about it. When I got home, I tried to log in to my email on another phone and all I saw was debit alerts. Till they emptied my account. It was indeed double jeopardy for me. I lost my phone and my account was emptied.

‘’I am still in doubt on how they easily got my pin or phone password. Sadly, I just received my salary and they withdrew all the cash in my account via a POS transaction,’’ said Zainab Hassan as she recalled her encounter with phone thieves in Lagos.

Hassan, who is an online vendor, said she lost N275,000 and her phone in just one night. She added that she did not enjoy her stay in Lagos as her mother and other family members were moody over the sad occurrence.

Unlike Hassan, a student Ms Christiana Adeyemo while narrating her ordeal to LEADERSHIP Weekend said her mother, a civil servant who retired in 2019 received a call from 0814635**** who claimed to be Mr Samuel a Custom Care Agent with Access Bank. She said her mother believed the person calling, thinking they were calling her to rectify her account to receive her pension money.

She, however, said the fraudster who claimed to be a banker asked her mother some questions after which she told her mother to call the number on her ATM and she did.

Luckily, Adeyemo said her mother withdrew the N480,000 out of the N480,600 in her account a day before she received the fraudulent call.

“Instantly they debited her N600. Apparently, the hackers have bought airtime with her money,’’ she said.

She said the hackers called her again asking for her Polaris Bank ATM details again, already there was a debited alert on her phone so she hung up on that person when she saw the debit alert, she ran to the bank to inform the customer care staff who told her that the call was not from them.

She said some bank customers waiting to be attended by the customer service staff were even laughing at her ignorant mother that she has been defrauded of N600.

‘’It is not funny, I don’t blame them,’’ she said.

She added that Nigerians need to be more cautious on Instagram and other social media handles, some criminals do claim that they are a philanthropist on Instagram. They make a post saying: “Drop your account for breakfast or follow this account and win N10, 000.”

In Iyanapaja, Adebanjo Usman learned not to leave his car window open while driving. He said his phone was picked via his window, adding that he became helpless to chase the thief. “I was driving down Iyanapaja. The sun was scorching and there was traffic so I turned the windows down. I dropped my phone on the passenger seat in front absent-mindedly. After a few minutes, a middle-aged man walked up to my side and tried to talk to me about a flat tire.

“Just within a jiffy, I can’t really remember what happened to be honest, all I observed was that my phone had been stolen.”

unwarranted access. He noted that crime in the bustling city of Lagos is something every resident learns to come to terms with.

Moye stressed that pedestrians should stop pressing their phones while walking on the street. He said surfing through social media while on Lagos roads, saying the street is so overridden with gangs.

He said, ‘’Within a twinkle of an eye your phone might be snatched forcefully from you, or even be a victim of an accident probably from a car or bus trying to avoid Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

‘’Focus on where you are going and don’t get distracted. Phone snatching, burglary, petty theft, and instant scam; these threats follow you around the city.’’

He said getting by safely usually involves recognising the signs that you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

‘’Receiving or calling someone requires your mental attention and this is because the city moves at a breakneck pace, most small crimes occur in a near-instant. The most frequent of these, understandably, is phone snatching,’’ he said.

He noted that the mode by which this happens varies, adding that sometimes, a motorcycle zooms past and grabs the phone out of their hands.

Moye stated that residents must learn to pick safe spots like restaurants, police stations and libraries which tend to be more suitable for meetings to avoid getting into dangerous situations.

When GSM was introduced in the country, Nigerians must have breathed a sigh of relief when Econet (now Airtel) and MTN Nigeria launched their GSM mobile services in 2001. Truth be told GSM has contributed positively in boosting economic activities in Nigeria sadly, it has led to the upsurge of high-level insecurity in the nation including insurgency, kidnapping and mobile banking fraud.

While kidnapping, insurgency, and SIM fraud loom, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) identified Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swaps and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) e-payment frauds as some of the cyber threats confronting the telecom industry.

This is even as the commission disclosed that attackers target telecom networks with the intent of getting access to consumers’ information in the database of service providers.

The director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of NCC, Efosa Idehen stressed that fraudsters conduct SIM swaps of targeted individuals and then carry out USSD-based transactions to defraud citizens of their money.

Speaking at the maiden edition of a sensitisation programme tagged: “Shine your eyes, no fall mugu”, in Benin City Idehen who was represented by Clement Omife, a deputy director in his department, advised Nigerians to be careful when opening unfamiliar emails.

He also urged Nigerians to be careful while responding to unfamiliar inquiries so as not to fall prey to cybercriminals.

According to him, “These fraudsters do this by stealing victims’ identities- names, address, bank information and other information which they use in gaining access to their victim’s bank accounts.”

‘’They also use the stolen identities to defraud other people and even apply for loans or make online purchases, leaving the victims with debts.”

To empower telecom consumers with knowledge and inform them to be alert not to fall victim to fraudsters, Idehen said the enlightenment programme was organised by the commission in conjunction with the African Entrepreneurial and Human Development Initiatives.

He continued: “As the telecom industry evolves, there are growing concerns over the rising trend of fraud perpetrated on the platform (electronic fraud) across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.’’

Via e-banking, he said the menace, which follows wide acceptance of new methods of mobile money and electronic banking and payment systems, has been discovered to cost the country whooping sums of money.

“It is in view of this and in line with its consumer-centric posture that the commission with relevant advocacy groups, embarked on this sensitisation programme in locations across the country, starting with Benin City, Edo State.”

To tackle the menace of electronic fraud, he noted that effective collaboration between government agencies, private organisations and individuals is pivotal.

How they operate

When a syndicate described as ‘’Digital Thieves’’ led by one Muritala Mohammed alias (swallow) was paraded by the Police in Lagos.

Mohammed, who is a member of a six-man gang, said they are always two in number during operation and a motorcycle rider. The suspect explained that they get the phones via numerous means by tricking their unsuspecting victims. Mohammed said if they have the phone, they will quickly call a motorcycle rider Solomon Dike who is on standby to come around so that they can flee with the phone.

Having picked the phone, he said they hand it over to Muritala ‘’Swallow’’ whose interest is the SIM card, when he gets a hold of it, he sets out to hack the SIM card using a shortcode to check the victims BVN where he receives a message that tells if the SIM is enrolled to a bank account or not, then he proceeds with other hacking tricks using other computer applications.

Mohammed said once he confirms the funds, he sends the money to another suspect Ali Hassan whose job is to provide other account numbers for the transfer. He also explained that he can also get random account numbers from unsuspecting members of the public where he transfers the money into their account.

He said he has mastered how to hack data from Access Bank, UBA and GT Bank. He further said the computer application brings out the account number, Bank Verification Number (BVN), and account name of the SIM card in his possession.

Phone theft in Nigeria appears to be on the rise, especially Androids and iPhones. Perhaps, a more worrisome dimension is that some of the thieves are more interested in SIM cards than the phones. Via access to SIM cards without SIM lock, they hack into the owner’s personal and confidential information such as BVN, and banking details and ultimately, end up defrauding them.

“I took my leave a few weeks ago and I decided to traveled to Lagos, to see my parents, though not my first time. With my back and overload of confidence as if my father is the governor of Lagos State or the popular Nigerian treasurer of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State, MC Oluomo.

“Shortly after our plane landed at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, I ordered a taxi to take me to Mile 12 Market to buy foodstuff for my parents. Everyone knows how Mile 12 Market can be very rowdy.

“Soon after buying the foodstuff. I was on my way to negotiate a taxi when a middle-aged man bumped into me, claiming he knows that I look like his cousin, and he instantly apologized for the mix-up.

“A moment later, I noticed he had stolen my phone already. I don’t like to talk about it. When I got home, I tried to log in to my email on another phone and all I saw was debit alerts. Till they emptied my account. It was indeed double jeopardy for me. I lost my phone and my account was emptied.

‘’I am still in doubt on how they easily got my pin or phone password. Sadly, I just received my salary and they withdrew all the cash in my account via a POS transaction,’’ said Zainab Hassan as she recalled her encounter with phone thieves in Lagos.

Hassan, who is an online vendor, said she lost N275,000 and her phone in just one night. She added that she did not enjoy her stay in Lagos as her mother and other family members were moody over the sad occurrence.

 

Unlike Hassan, a student Ms Christiana Adeyemo while narrating her ordeal to LEADERSHIP Weekend said her mother, a civil servant who retired in 2019 received a call from 0814635**** who claimed to be Mr Samuel a Custom Care Agent with Access Bank. She said her mother believed the person calling, thinking they were calling her to rectify her account to receive her pension money.

She, however, said the fraudster who claimed to be a banker asked her mother some questions after which she told her mother to call the number on her ATM and she did.

Luckily, Adeyemo said her mother withdrew the N480,000 out of the N480,600 in her account a day before she received the fraudulent call.

“Instantly they debited her N600. Apparently, the hackers have bought airtime with her money,’’ she said.

She said the hackers called her again asking for her Polaris Bank ATM details again, already there was a debited alert on her phone so she hung up on that person when she saw the debit alert, she ran to the bank to inform the customer care staff who told her that the call was not from them.

She said some bank customers waiting to be attended by the customer service staff were even laughing at her ignorant mother that she has been defrauded of N600.

‘’It is not funny, I don’t blame them,’’ she said.

She added that Nigerians need to be more cautious on Instagram and other social media handles, some criminals do claim that they are a philanthropist on Instagram. They make a post saying: “Drop your account for breakfast or follow this account and win N10, 000.”

In Iyanapaja, Adebanjo Usman learned not to leave his car window open while driving. He said his phone was picked via his window, adding that he became helpless to chase the thief. “I was driving down Iyanapaja. The sun was scorching and there was traffic so I turned the windows down. I dropped my phone on the passenger seat in front absent-mindedly. After a few minutes, a middle-aged man walked up to my side and tried to talk to me about a flat tire.

 

“Just within a jiffy, I can’t really remember what happened to be honest, all I observed was that my phone had been stolen.”

unwarranted access. He noted that crime in the bustling city of Lagos is something every resident learns to come to terms with.

Moye stressed that pedestrians should stop pressing their phones while walking on the street. He said surfing through social media while on Lagos roads, saying the street is so overridden with gangs.

He said, ‘’Within a twinkle of an eye your phone might be snatched forcefully from you, or even be a victim of an accident probably from a car or bus trying to avoid Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

‘’Focus on where you are going and don’t get distracted. Phone snatching, burglary, petty theft, and instant scam; these threats follow you around the city.’’

He said getting by safely usually involves recognising the signs that you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

‘’Receiving or calling someone requires your mental attention and this is because the city moves at a breakneck pace, most small crimes occur in a near-instant. The most frequent of these, understandably, is phone snatching,’’ he said.

He noted that the mode by which this happens varies, adding that sometimes, a motorcycle zooms past and grabs the phone out of their hands.

Moye stated that residents must learn to pick safe spots like restaurants, police stations and libraries which tend to be more suitable for meetings to avoid getting into dangerous situations.

When GSM was introduced in the country, Nigerians must have breathed a sigh of relief when Econet (now Airtel) and MTN Nigeria launched their GSM mobile services in 2001. Truth be told GSM has contributed positively in boosting economic activities in Nigeria sadly, it has led to the upsurge of high-level insecurity in the nation including insurgency, kidnapping and mobile banking fraud.

While kidnapping, insurgency, and SIM fraud loom, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) identified Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swaps and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) e-payment frauds as some of the cyber threats confronting the telecom industry.

This is even as the commission disclosed that attackers target telecom networks with the intent of getting access to consumers’ information in the database of service providers.

The director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of NCC, Efosa Idehen stressed that fraudsters conduct SIM swaps of targeted individuals and then carry out USSD-based transactions to defraud citizens of their money.

Speaking at the maiden edition of a sensitisation programme tagged: “Shine your eyes, no fall mugu”, in Benin City Idehen who was represented by Clement Omife, a deputy director in his department, advised Nigerians to be careful when opening unfamiliar emails.

He also urged Nigerians to be careful while responding to unfamiliar inquiries so as not to fall prey to cybercriminals.


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Telecom

Nokia Unwraps 5G Gateway for Home Internet

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Nokia has introduced the FastMile Gateway 4, a new 5G indoor gateway designed to deliver high-speed internet throughout the home, powered by Wi-Fi 7 technology.

Nokia Unwraps 5G Gateway for Home Internet

A gateway is a device that connects to a 5G network and provides high-speed internet access to homes or businesses.

The disclosure was made in a statement by Nokia, which highlighted that the device features high-gain antennas and dual-band Wi-Fi 7 to optimise coverage and boost connection speeds.

The FastMile Gateway 4 supports four carrier aggregation and up to 300 MHz of bandwidth, helping operators improve network efficiency while ensuring seamless connectivity for users.

The new gateway is powered by Nokia’s Corteca software, which enables cloud-based Wi-Fi optimisation and supports industry-standard EasyMesh technology for better network management.

To simplify installation, the device comes with a mobile app that helps users identify the best location for setup.

With the FastMile Gateway 4, Nokia expands its 5G fixed wireless access portfolio, offering multiple Wi-Fi 7-enabled models to support different operator and consumer needs.

The launch underscores Nokia’s commitment to advancing 5G home connectivity, providing faster and more reliable internet solutions.

Shiv Putcha, director for Research and Consulting at GSMA Intelligence, stated, FWA has proven to be a spectacular hit in driving broadband access in the last mile around the world.

He said, “However, there are numerous end users, many with potentially unique requirements that need servicing. Nokia has the broadest portfolio today, with multiple FastMile gateway products that combine 5G FWA with dual-band WiFi 7 indoors.

“This, combined with Corteca management software, will help operators cater to multiple segments of demand.”

Dirk Verhaegen, general manager of Broadband Devices at Nokia, stated, “Using Fixed Wireless Access to connect end customers to the internet requires more than just one type of device.

“Our extensive FWA portfolio gives operators access to a wide range of Wi-Fi 7 devices tailored to meet their unique and diverse needs. Our portfolio is even stronger with the addition of the new FastMile Gateway 4, giving operators another power option to deliver fast, reliable FWA broadband to customers – no matter where they live.”


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Telecom

Senate Urges FG, Telcos to Cut Data Cost

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The senate has called on the federal government to take urgent action to address the rising cost of data services in the country.

Senate Urges FG, Telcos to Cut Data Cost

This was sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River South) during plenary.

Ekpeyong warned that the surge in data costs was a major setback for young Nigerians who depend on the internet for their livelihoods.

He argued that many young people use digital platforms for freelancing, e-commerce, content creation, and software development, making affordable internet access crucial to their economic survival.

“Telecommunication providers in Nigeria have recently increased the cost of data services by as much as 200%. A move that has placed significant financial strain on millions of Nigerians, especially young people who rely on the internet for their livelihood,” he said.

“Young Nigerians have embraced the digital economy, leveraging the internet for various income-generating activities including freelancing and remote work, direct marketing and social media management, e-commerce, content creation on various platforms, online training, software development, web design, mobile app creation, content creation of various platforms, online education, etc.

“The senate notes that young Nigerians have embraced the digital economy, leveraging the internet for their livelihood, leaving them heavily dependent on mobile telecommunications companies for internet access, and that the sudden and substantial increase in data cost threatens their economic survival and limits access to critical digital services.

“The senate is further concerned that the reasons provided by telecom providers for the data price hike, including high operational costs of favourable exchanges, are untenable, and appears that instead of addressing the root causes of the high cost of doing business in Nigeria, the burden is being unfairly transferred to end-users.

“Senate is aware that the high cost of doing business in Nigeria is driven by multiple challenges, such as increased operational risk and insurance costs.

“The senate believes that urgent government intervention is required to ensure that affordable internet access remains available to all Nigerians, particularly to the young Nigerians who are at the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy.

“The senate accordingly resolves to urge the federal government to engage with telecommunication providers to review the recent increase in data costs and ensure the pricing remains fair and affordable for all Nigerians.”

Telecommunications operators had increased the cost of data and voice services following the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approval of a 50% tariff hike, implemented on February 11, 2025.

Contributing to the debate, senator Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) described the motion as timely, lamenting that apart from the hike in cost of telecommunications services, there were also a hike in the cost of electricity tariff and DSTV subscription.

“Something needs to be done fast, to regulate the high increases. Citizens have no other way to seek redress,” Senator Umeh said.

Senator Sadiiq Sulaiman Umar (APC, Kwara North), also said, “It’s very important to regulate this social crisis.”

In its resolutions, the Senate also asked the federal government to provide an enabling environment for doing business, as well as address the avalanche of challenges threatening businesses in the country.

The Senate also asked the federal government to consider making provisions for free internet hubs for young people to enhance their socio-economic well-being.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session said the resolutions if implemented would assist young entrepreneurs who use internet for various businesses to grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Telecom

MTN Group, Airtel Africa Agree to Network Sharing in Uganda and Nigeria

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Driven to extend digital and financial inclusion across Africa, MTN Group and Airtel Africa have entered into agreements to share network infrastructure in Uganda and Nigeria, while ensuring compliance with local regulatory and statutory requirements.

These sharing agreements target improved network cost efficiencies, expanded coverage and the provision of enhanced mobile services to millions of customers, particularly those in remote and rural areas who do not yet fully enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life.

MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said operators on the continent were seeing sustained demand for data services: “As MTN, we are driven by the vision of delivering digital solutions that drive Africa’s progress.

We continue to see strong structural demand for digital and financial services across our markets. To meet this demand, we continue to invest in coverage and capacity to ensure high-quality connectivity for our customers.

That said, there are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher efficiencies and improve returns.”

Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said: “As we compete fiercely in the market on the strength of our brand, services and our offerings we are building common infrastructure, within the permissible regulatory framework, to provide a more robust and extensive digital highway to drive digital and financial inclusion at the same time avoiding duplication of expensive infrastructure to drive operational efficiencies and benefits for our customers.”

The initiative is part of a growing global trend toward network sharing. By collaborating, telecoms operators can explore innovative and pro-competitive solutions to improve service quality while managing costs more effectively.

The sharing of infrastructure has the potential to enable the delivery of world-class, reliable mobile services to more and more customers across Africa.

Following the conclusion of agreements in Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel Africa are exploring various opportunities in other markets, including Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda and Zambia.

Among the types of agreements considered are RAN sharing and those aimed at establishing commercial and technical agreements for fibre infrastructure sharing and, if necessary, the construction of fibre networks.

MTN Group and Airtel Africa are dedicated to working with other mobile operators within the countries in which they have a presence to achieve the advantages of network sharing.

Throughout this process, the parties will continue to function as independent market entities and will compete freely in shared markets. This engagement does not preclude the parties from collaborating with other operators in any respective market.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending