By Dilip Mistry

In response to the increasingly sophisticated methods being used to target and defraud Ghanaian citizens, SpyGhana.com is calling for greater awareness with the introduction of a ‘Fraud Prevention’ month. The proposed annual event would be designed to give private and public organisations involved in the fight against fraud and corruption an opportunity to further raise public awareness, and so help Ghanaians avoid becoming victims of organised crime.

The title reports that Ghanaians are concerned about fraud and other corrupt practices because of the possibility that it can de-stabilize the country’s national economy, especially as organised crime groups continue to emerge and operate with increasing strength throughout the country.

It is a situation that Ghanaian Telecommunications Company Glo Mobile Ghana, has recognised. In the past week the company has announced a major anti-fraud campaign to detect and eliminate SIM Box fraud on its network.

SIM Box, or bypass fraud, occurs when the cost of terminating national or international calls exceeds the cost of a local mobile to mobile call in a particular country. Criminal gangs buy multiple SIM cards and sell capacity to terminate calls on the open market.  This illegal activity has led to lost revenues for Glo Mobile Ghana, while its subscribers can experience a reduction in quality of call or a loss of telecommunications services.

It is refreshing to see Glo Mobile Ghana taking such a proactive stance towards removing fraudulent SIMs from the network. This campaign is already saving Glo money and reclaiming lost revenues for both the operator and government. If other Ghanaian businesses were to follow Glo’s lead and make greater efforts to identify and educate the country’s citizens about the many threats, then it would be possible to begin eradicating them or at the very least begin reducing the number of victims of fraud.