Mobile Money agents have pleaded with authorities to deal with cases of fraud and attacks on them by armed robbers. According to the agents, armed
Mobile Money agents have pleaded with authorities to deal with cases of fraud and attacks on them by armed robbers.
According to the agents, armed robbers have been attacking and killing them through guns and acid baths.
They also said some of their “customers sending mob attacks on us because they suspected us to be behind fraudulent activities, the police maltreating, handcuffing and wasting our time in cells over issues that Agents know nothing about.
“The Union is by this release calling on the major stakeholders namely the Telcos, Ghana Police Service, National Security, NIB, Ministry of Communications and Digitalization, Ministry of the Interior and Parliament’s Select Committee for Defense and Interior and all relevant authorities to launch an investigation into this rising national security concerns,” their statement said.
Below is their full statement…
SOPHISTICATED MOMO FRAUD ALERT…
The Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana wishes to bring to the attention of the General Public to an EMERGING MOBILE MONEY FRAUD which takes the form of after a customer visits a vending point for whichever purpose which in most cases are either deposits or Cashouts, the customer in a space of few minutes, receives a phone call from fraudsters purporting to be the Mobile Money Agent from whom the transaction took place with a FAKE popular customer care concern which reads ” there was a NETWORK ERROR hence your deposit has turned into AIRTIME so there need to follow these instructions to convert back to cash amongst other narrations “.
The Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana and its members do not have any system to query any Mobile Money account and to know its content.
Customer’s transaction ends with an agent as soon as he or she receives money onto wallet or cash out was done in the presence of an agent. The rest lies with the service providers.
Unequivocally, the Union dissociates itself from this rising Momo fraud and wishes to announce to the general public that Mobile Money business is noble and is serving millions of Ghanaians in various capacities and needed concerted effort to address the growing challenges associated with it.
Our questions remained unanswered, who queries our Agent and customers’ accounts to know the amount in it?
At what point is query needed?. The Union is asking these questions because as Mobile Money Agents, we don’t have control over customers’ wallets. In the spirit of fairness, the unconcern attitude of the powers that be in coming to our aid is causing much frustrations and suicide in the business.
Armed robbers are attacking and killing us through guns and acid baths, our customers sending mob attacks on us because they suspected us to be behind fraudulent activities, the police maltreating, handcuffing and wasting our time in cells over issues that Agents know nothing about.
The Union is by this release calling on the major stakeholders namely the Telcos, Ghana Police Service, National Security, NIB, Ministry of Communications and Digitalization, Ministry of the Interior and Parliament’s Select Committee for Defense and Interior and all relevant authorities to launch an investigation into this rising national security concerns.
It is in our collective interest to safeguard this business which has created employment to substantial number of Ghanaians. If these issues are not treated with the urgency it deserve, the business and usage of Momo will become very unpopular and as a Union, we will advise ourselves accordingly.
For the avoidance of doubt, we are advising the General Public NOT to engage anyone to discuss any matter relating to their momo wallets and that if it becomes expedient, the USER should go BACK to the AGENT or call CUSTOMERCARE. Anything short of these should not be entertained.We are encouraging every Mobile Money Agent to issue a DISCLAIMER to that effect and all CUSTOMERS must take note to avoid these happenings.
The Union is also kindly calling on the Consumer Protection Agency to intervene in this matter to help conduct investigation into finding lasting solution to this menace.
Finally, we are appealing to all MEDIA HOUSES as part of their corporate Social Responsibilities, to join the fight against Momo fraud by designing and allocating special moments for FRAUD AWARENESS and EDUCATION. Thank you.
Sincerely,
…………..
Evans P.K Otumfuo
General Secretary,
MMAAG .
Cc:Minister,
MoCD, MoNS,MoI
Parliament’s Select Committee for Defense and Interior
Ghana Police Service
NIB
All media platforms.
CPA
All Agent
source: BOADU JONATHAN (SIR PHYLOSE
)
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