Fraud and scams through electronic purchasing and payment systems continue to increase in Angola, according to a report by Empresa Interbancária de Serviços S.A (EMIS).
According to the investigation, it describes a record of 1 cases in the last nine months, with an average of ten complaints/month, compared to the 792 complaints received in recent years.
Among the criminal types with the highest incidence are financial transactions, with 453 transactions made in 011, compared to 008 in 2022.
The list also includes card cloning crimes, with 77 cases, robberies, thefts, with 1615, card exchange, with 6, and express fraud, with 95.
Meanwhile, the engineer at CYBER SECUR, Alberto Afonso, says that in the same period, 50 cyber attacks were recorded on public and private institutions.
The computer crime investigator at the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC), Francisco Pedro, added that from January to November 2023 there were 1.209 reports of cyber crimes.
The numbers, according to the official, tend to increase, with offenders resorting to various “modus operandis”, such as the use of sponsored PHISHING EMIS links (Surveymonkey, Google forms), Sim SwAp (fraudulent 2nd copy request) and access fraudulent use of banking systems, particularly BAI Directo.
BUT: BFA reports scams via email and SMS
According to the national director of cybersecurity policies, Hecdiântro Mena, it is necessary for sector authorities to establish basic guidelines and expand the cybersecurity culture in the country.
Although the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector creates, through appropriate bodies, policies and actions aimed at defending cyberspace, the person in charge defended the urgent approval of the “National Cybersecurity Strategy”.
In Angola, as in other countries, the use of electronic purchasing and payment systems has promoted important innovations that make life easier for companies and families.
However, the dark side of this reality is associated with scams and crimes, committed daily.
Experts indicate that in 2019, criminals intensified their cloning and social engineering actions, due to the lack of digital and financial literacy of users of multicaixas cards and internet baking.
To combat malicious actions, the Interbank Service Company (EMIS) and banks implement several mitigation measures against fraud and ensure a more efficient, present and proactive customer support service, such as Card Protector (blocking and unblocking the card ) and definition of the daily card movement limit.
It also ensures the migration from magnetic stripe cards to EMV cards, sending SMS to customers from the central EMIS system and banks, mandatory registration of the mobile phone number in the bank's database to prevent additions and additions of mobile phones undesirable.
The measures, according to EMIS, had a quick effect in reducing theft and card exchanges, despite the increase in fraud at MCX Express.
