Sam George Speaks on MoMo Fraud, Shares How GH¢24,000 Vanished From His Mother’s Wallet

• MP Sam George has reacted to a viral mobile money fraud case involving a young woman who lost over GH¢11,000
• He shared how his mother was defrauded of GH¢24,000 by fraudsters pretending to protect her wallet because of his position
• The legislator indicated that his office is working with telcos and government bodies to investigate and curb MoMo scams

Ghana's Minister of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has reacted to the growing issue of mobile money (MoMo) fraud being perpetrated by fraudsters across the country.

A few days ago, a young businesswoman took to social media to complain that over GH¢11,000 had been withdrawn from her MoMo wallet without her prior approval.

Reacting to the incident, Sam George sympathised with the young woman and urged the general public to take cybersecurity matters seriously.

Speaking to Evans Mensah on the Joy News Channel, Mr George disclosed that his mother had previously been a victim of MoMo fraud.

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"In my poor mother's case, just after I was appointed as a minister, they called her and said, 'Oh, because of your son, now we want to protect your mobile money and so verify your pin. They stole GH¢24,000 from her wallet. When she told me, I asked why she did not call me to confirm," he stated.

The MP questioned how MoMo fraudsters can successfully steal from people’s wallets, asking if there might be some collusion on the part of certain mobile money operators.

He added that his office had started discussions with telecom operators to find sustainable ways to protect innocent citizens from such scams.

Mr George also disclosed that the ministry had initiated steps to investigate the recent surge in mobile money fraud cases and bring those responsible to justice.

"The question is, are the real instances of connivance by staff of some of these mobile money operators? An investigation will happen after the first meeting. We are going to be asking them to provide us with reports on the measures they are taking to protect their customers," he said.

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Watch the video below:

Reactions to Sam George disclosing MoMo fraud experience

Following Sam George's interview, Ghanaians who watched the video excerpts took to the comment section to react.

YEN.com.gh compiled a few of the reactions below:

@Geoford said:

"How could they withdraw 24,000 when the limit is 20,000? Hmmmm."

@carrousel 14 also said:

"Previously, they were not stealing from Vodafone, but immediately they sold it, now they are stealing from that one too."

@BANKS commented:

"From all that I have been hearing. The scammers contact the user for information before they steal. We must blame ourselves as well."

MTN Ghana addresses lady's Momo fraud claims

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that MTN Ghana Limited reacted to the Ghanaian businesswoman's public outcry over an alleged unauthorised withdrawal of money from her account.

MTN Ghana, in a statement, denied being at fault and advised MoMo users to refrain from sharing their PIN codes or OTP with third parties.

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MTN Ghana addresses alleged unlawful withdrawal claims, says lady likely shared sensitive details with others

Following MTN's response, Ghanaians took to the comment section to share their views.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh