The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has issued a statement warning the public to be vigilant of fraudsters. CA has stated that individuals masquerading as official staff” are defrauding unsuspecting members of the public and prospective license applicants, purporting to assist them in accessing the services of the Authority.”
CA is a government agency that regulates the country’s ICT sector. The fraudsters are using CA’s constitutional mandates to threaten victims with actions such as non-registration of SIM cards. This advisory comes a few weeks after Posta Kenya issued a similar notice. Posta, a service provider regulated by the CA said the scammers were targeting unsuspecting victims via text messages.
The two messages show that unscrupulous individuals have set their sights on the ICT sector. Defrauding license applicants will affect a key revenue stream for the CA. The regulator receives about Sh3 billion every financial year in license fees.
Loss of revenue will definitely affect the operations of the CA which is spearheading key ICT projects across the country. The authority is also in charge of the Universal Service Fund (USF). This is an important fund created to reduce the digital divide in the country.
The CA has reminded the public that all its official channels of communication remain open to the public. Hence, everyone should ensure they stick to those channels when conducting any business with the CA. Further, those seeking services from the authority are advised to visit the official website to learn about all the regulated services and associated fees.
