Crimes

NCC: Some people targeting inactive SIM cards for fraud

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has uncovered plans by some individuals to perpetuate fraud with dormant SIM cards.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, made the disclosure at a special engagement with the media in Lagos on Thursday, January 18, to discuss his vision and strategy after spending 100 days in office.

The NCC chairman noted that the commission would be stepping in, as a regulator, to see the common issues that consumers are complaining about and how to resolve such problems.

He said: “We are also going to see how we can improve the general security and integrity from the consumers’ perspective.

“The commission plans to create a platform where consumers can verify whether lines they have not used for a long time is still active or not.

“We have noticed that vicious people are targeting lines that are dormant for a long time to carry out fraud.

“Also, we want to formulate a policy to ensure that any line used to carry out fraud, the owner of that line will be prosecuted. So, if you are not using a particular line, it is advisable you block it.”

Maida, however, assured that the NCC would foster growth in the telecoms industry by focusing on collaboration, compliance, data, and quality of experience.

The NCC boss said it was vital to collaborate with stakeholders, who ranged from government agencies to the media, telecoms operators, and consumers.

Maida said the commission would focus more on being data centric, as the world was in a digital age.

He noted that as a regulator of the telecoms industry, it was necessary to leverage data to make informed decisions.

On stakeholders, Maida said the NCC would focus on three major stakeholders – the telecoms consumers, the industry, and the government.

Maida noted that the commission would focus on the needs of each of the stakeholders, adding that it knew consumers, for example, are looking for total Quality of Experience (QoE).

The NCC boss said the commission would be driving QoE, from the point of how they find and select telecoms services.

He added: “We will be leveraging on data to be able to empower consumers to make the right choice, so that we can move away from the world where we have multiple SIM devices.

“Rather than multiple devices and SIM cards, we are looking at a situation, where consumers will only have one SIM card and one device.

“We are also going to be working with our licensees on data tariff, speed and coverage. We are going to be working with our licensees to see how tariff can be simpler and more transparent.”

On its licensees, Maida said the NCC was looking at reviewing the operating standards and introducing better ones which would be more in line with international best practices and also in the area of corporate governance.

He said NCC would be leveraging technology to review regulatory services and internal processes to improve their operations.

Maida said:“We are going to be doing a lot of advocacy in the areas of pushing the telecoms industry as a critical national infrastructure.

“On the right of way charges, we are working with states government to either waive the RoW charges or stick to the N145/linear charge. We are also engaging states on the issue of multiple taxation.”

The Star