According to a report in The Gaurdian, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has plans to introduce new guidelines that will standardise the processes and procedures for Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) swaps across all networks.
The decision was taken after the NNC received numerous complaints from subscribers over unauthorised SIM swaps by service providers and fraudulent activities emanating from such activities.
According to the report, Mrs Yetunde Akinloye, Head of Legal and Regulatory Services, announced that a task team would be set up between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the NCC, in an effort to find solutions.
Akinloye alluded briefly to a sim swap fraud incident that occurred in Abuja. She said, “There was a situation that was brought to our attention where a subscriber was having issues with his number and thought that it was a network issue, but by the time he discovered what was happening, about N4 million had been taken out of his bank account. The person is resident here in Abuja, while the money was taken away from Kano, and he has never been to Kano, so there is no way this would have been done without the connivance of an insider”.
Other complaints brought to to the commission by consumers include unauthorised SIM Swaps, unsolicited caller tunes, music, religious massages and promos which users find difficult to opt out of.
Staff Writer
