By Melanie Aanyu,

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has urged Ugandans to be more vigilant following increased levels of transaction fraud in the country perpetrated by fraudsters commonly referred to as ‘bafere’.

According to UCC’s Acting Head of Public and International Relations, Rebecca Mukite, the bafere’ s latest trick is calling people and claiming to be UCC’ staff seeking to upgrade or verify user’s simcards.

She says, during the engagement, unsuspecting victims are asked to provide information about them including their mobile money pin numbers which the fraudsters use to fraudulently transact money off the victims’ mobile money accounts.

She added that the fraudsters sometimes call unsuspecting victims claiming to be working for certain telecom companies.
These, she says, call victims asking for forms of verification or upgrade with an intent of accessing the unsuspecting victims’ personal information.

Mukite advised the members of public that should they receive any such call, they should hang up immediately so that they do not give the mufere a chance to manipulate them through engagement.