Treasury warns retirees over fake text messages

DAR ES SALAAM: MINISTRY of Finance has issued a warning regarding an increase in fraudulent text messages targeting retirees paid by the Treasury.

These messages falsely claim that the recipient has missed a call from the Treasury and instruct them to visit the local Treasury Office or call a specific number for more information.

The Ministry clarified through its advert issued on Friday to the public that no verification exercise for benefits is being conducted by the Treasury and no text messages are sent to retirees through mobile phones.

“People are reminded that all services for retirees are provided free of charge. The Ministry advises anyone receiving such messages to ignore them and report the incident to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) via 15040 or to the nearest police station,” the advert reads in part.

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The Ministry also noted that, in collaboration with TCRA and law enforcement agencies, several SIM cards used for fraudulent activities have been deactivated and blacklisted.

These measures are part of efforts to curb scams and protect people from financial losses. It further said that, retirees with questions or concerns are encouraged to visit their local Treasury Office or contact the customer service hotline at 0262160000.

The Ministry urges the public to remain vigilant and share this information widely to protect retirees from falling victim to scams.

In a sector performance report released recently by Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has deactivated and blacklisted a total of 12,896 SIM cards due to various fraudulent activities, including online crimes and scams over the last three months.

TCRA Boss Dr Jabiri Bakari cited a 19 per cent decrease in attempted frauds using phone lines, with SIM cards cancelled dropping from 16,002 from July to September 2024 to 12,896 from October to December 2024, a diminution of over three thousand SIM cards.

Regions with high numbers of deactivated Sim cards as of late last year were Rukwa (5,305), Morogoro (4,278), Mbeya (930), Dar es Salaam (765), Katavi (281), Arusha (260), Songwe (150), Mwanza (132) and Tabora (122).