Prime
Experts urge use of AI to combat rising mobile money fraud in Tanzania
What you need to know:
- AI, the experts explained, allows computer systems to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as pattern recognition and predictive analysis. Enabling technologies in this context refer to tools that facilitate data tracking across interconnected databases—key to detecting and preventing fraud.
Dar es Salaam. A team of financial experts has called for the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and other enabling technologies to curb the rising tide of online crime, particularly fraud committed through mobile money platforms.
The recommendation was issued during a recent working session of the Committee of Experts on Financial Services, a body under the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) mandated to enhance the resilience of the country’s financial systems.
AI, the experts explained, allows computer systems to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as pattern recognition and predictive analysis. Enabling technologies in this context refer to tools that facilitate data tracking across interconnected databases—key to detecting and preventing fraud.
The call came as the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) released its latest quarterly report on the communications sector, covering January to March 2025. The report shows mobile money accounts have more than doubled over the past four years.
TCRA Director General Dr Jabiri Bakari said mobile money accounts grew by 103.4 percent between March 2021 and March 2025, rising from 32.7 million to 66.5 million. During the same period, active SIM card registrations increased by 71 percent to over 90.2 million.
However, the rise in digital transactions has been mirrored by a surge in cybercrime. Reported cases of online fraud rose by 33 percent in the first quarter of 2025, with 17,152 incidents recorded, up from 12,896 in the final quarter of 2024.
Morogoro and Rukwa regions remain the hardest hit, accounting for 74 percent of all reported cases nationally. Rukwa recorded 7,385 cases, while Morogoro reported 5,227 cases in just three months.
Experts believe the spike in reported incidents may partly reflect greater public awareness, driven by ongoing campaigns encouraging citizens to practise online safety and report suspicious activity.
TCRA is currently conducting a nationwide digital safety awareness campaign, including a free SMS platform through which the public can report fraud by texting the number 15040.
With digital platforms increasingly interconnected, effective regulatory oversight has become more critical. TCRA regulates mobile money operations by licensing network operators and managing transaction codes used in mobile and banking services, while the BoT oversees the broader financial ecosystem.
Users are registered using biometric data and personal details from the National Identification Authority (NIDA), and devices are uniquely tracked through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), reinforcing the digital verification process.
Six mobile money service providers currently operate in Tanzania: Airtel Money, Azam Pesa, Halopesa, Mixx (formerly Tigopesa), M-Pesa, and T-Pesa.
