Experts propose AI to protect digital financial services
DAR ES SALAAM: EXPERS have called on corporations to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven solutions to combat cybersecurity risks and threats, including mobile network fraud.
According to a recent meeting of the Tanzania Financial Stability Forum (TFSF) technical team in Dar es Salaam, it was recommended that AI and blockchain technologies be utilised to detect threats and authenticate biometric data.
The recommendations align with the newly published Communications Sector Status Report for January–March 2025, which highlights a significant surge in mobile money accounts nearly doubling over the past four years.
The report, released by Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director General Dr Jabiri Bakari, also reveals that incidents of mobile network fraud and attempted fraud rose by 33 percent between December 2024 and March 2025.
Mobile money services in Tanzania are offered by operators, licensed by both the TCRA and the Bank of Tanzania (BOT).
The services rely on devices identified by unique IMEI numbers, which are stored in the Central Equipment Identification Registry (CEIR). SIM cards used for mobile communication are registered using subscriber data from the National Identification Authority (NIDA) database.
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The report shows that the growth of mobile money accounts has outpaced that of SIM card registrations over the last four years.
Between March 2021 and March 2025, mobile money accounts grew by 103.4 percent, from 32,720,180 to 66,542,276. In comparison, registered SIM cards increased by 71 percent from 52,813,930 to 90,298,941 over the same period.
The report also recorded 17,152 fraud cases and attempts in the first quarter of 2025, up from 12,896 in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Morogoro and Rukwa regions remain hotspots for such incidents, accounting for 74 percent of reported cases.
Consumers in Rukwa reported 7,385 incidents, while those in Morogoro reported 5,227. Analysts suggest that the rise in reported cases may reflect increased public awareness, thanks to TCRA’s consumer education campaigns. The agency encourages victims to report fraud through its toll-free code 15040.
