By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Aug. 9, GNA – MTN Ghana, a mobile network operator, has launched this year’s Mobile Money (MoMo) Season with an assurance to MoMo subscribers that it will continue to tackle MoMo fraud and bring perpetrators to book.
Mr Collins Agyei, Area Sales Manager, North, MTN Ghana, who gave the assurance during the launch in Tamale on Wednesday, said, “We continue to beef up efforts across various touch points to stay ahead of them. Through robust and stringent measures, multi-sectorial collaboration as well as intensified public education, we will continue to tackle MoMo fraud and bring perpetrators to book. Our efforts have contributed to a marginal decline in these fraudulent activities. There is still more work to be done.”
The theme for this year’s MoMo Season is: “Addressing the Barriers to Digital Payments Adoption in Ghana” and the launch in Tamale was attended by some partners and customers of MTN Ghana.”
MTN Ghana has set aside the months of August and September as MoMo Season to create awareness on the countless opportunities MoMo offers in the digital economy as well as to celebrate its valued partners and customers.
MTN Ghana, as part of the 2023 MoMo Season celebrations, will be undertaking series of activities and campaigns across the country, including consumer and staff promos, market storms, stakeholder fora, digital campaigns, Catch Them Young Series, MoMo fraud education, among others.
Although MoMo has contributed immensely to Ghana’s socio-economic growth, it has also been the target of some unscrupulous persons, who continue to perpetuate financial crime and MoMo fraud. Several customers have fallen victim to the antics of these fraudsters.
Data from Bank of Ghana revealed that total electronic money related losses from 2022 amounted to GHc26 million representing a 103 per cent increase from 2021.
Mr Agyei said, “There is therefore the need to increase fraud awareness and beef up security measures. A multi-sectorial approach is critical to tackling MoMo fraud and other related issues.”
He said, “We recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Economic and Organised Crime Office, a partnership we believe will go a long way in addressing MoMo fraud and bringing the perpetrators to book.”
He added that “We continue to work with partners from the National Cyber Security Authority, Ghana Police Service, and the Judiciary to conduct investigations into such fraud related issues. As a digital focused business, we continue to explore artificial intelligence tools to fight fraud.”
Mr Agyei said MTN Ghana continued to adhere to all international security standards to ensure that the wallets of its customers were safe, adding “In line with that I am happy to say that a few weeks back MobileMoney Limited (MML/MTN MoMo) successfully achieved the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) Mobile Money certification.”
He said, “MML was robustly assessed against eight principles made up of detailed criteria set by the GSMA between November 2022 and May 2023. These principles include Security of Systems, Data Privacy, Safeguarding of Funds, Quality of Operations amongst others. The GSMA Mobile Money certification is a global initiative, which promotes security, transparency, and resilient financial services to millions of mobile money users across the world.”
He also spoke about barriers to digital payments adoption in the country, saying interoperability challenges, fake identification cards, platform infrastructure, onboarding customers, MoMo fraud among others had impeded digital payments adoption in the country.
He gave assurance that “MTN Ghana and MML are committed to addressing these challenges by working closely with various stakeholders and partners in a bid to build a robust, efficient, and more inclusive digital payments ecosystem in the country.”
Mr Aseye Kwami Akude, Manager, Retail Experience, North, MTN Ghana, said, “Since its launch in 2009, MTN MoMo has redefined Ghana’s financial services industry, an innovation that has continued to boost financial inclusion and brought financial services to the doorsteps of Ghanaians.”
Mr Akude said, “MML will continue to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers, by addressing the barriers to digital payments adoption through the development of innovative, robust solutions and initiatives while leveraging digitisation to revitalise the Ghanaian economy.”
GNA