Airtel Money Uganda has called on banks and tech firms to build automatic security protections inside financial apps to stop phone scammers.
Telecommunications operator Airtel Money Uganda called on financial institutions, digital technology developers, and commercial banks across the country to build automatic security protection directly inside their mobile applications and financial products on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
Speaking during the inaugural National Cybersecurity Conference organized by the Uganda Communications Commission in the nation’s capital city of Kampala, company leaders warned that relying only on warning messages to educate customers is no longer enough to stop clever criminals.
The high level conference brought together government regulators, mobile money operators, and banking executives to find urgent solutions to the growing threat of mobile money fraud and illegal account takeovers affecting thousands of everyday citizens.
The primary reason for this urgent call is that cyber thieves and phone scammers are using increasingly clever methods to trick unsuspecting citizens out of their hard-earned money.
In many cases, criminals use a method called social engineering, where they call mobile phone users and pretend to be official customer service agents from a bank or telecommunication company.
Because fraudsters have learned to copy official warning messages word for word, ordinary people find it difficult to distinguish between real company officials and fake impostors.
Once the criminal gains the victim’s trust through deceit, they quickly carry out an unauthorized SIM card swap or convince the customer to reveal their secret security PIN code, allowing the thief to clean out the victim’s bank account or mobile wallet within minutes.
Addressing the gathered financial leaders and technology experts at the conference, Japhet Aritho, the Managing Director of Airtel Money Commerce Uganda Limited, explained that mobile phone thieves are now using the exact security advice provided by telecom companies to trap victims.
Highlighting how scammers trick unsuspecting users during phone calls, Japhet Aritho publicly stated, “They will tell you exactly what we are telling them… and then they will trick you into sharing your PIN.”
He emphasized that because criminals constantly find ways around customer warning messages, financial technology companies must change their strategy from simply telling users to be careful to building strong security locks directly inside digital apps and financial software.
To demonstrate how built-in security can protect everyday users, Airtel highlighted its successful collaboration with commercial banks through a specialized software checking tool.
Under this system, when a bank receives a request to send money or approve a transfer from a mobile phone, the bank’s computer system automatically checks with the telecom network to confirm if the SIM card was recently changed or swapped.
See Also: Karnataka and Israel Partner to Strengthen Digital Security and Tech Innovation
If a recent SIM swap is detected, the transaction is immediately blocked until the account holder verifies their true identity. Airtel also introduced an artificial intelligence security feature that automatically scans incoming text messages to detect scam patterns and warn phone users before they fall victim to fraudulent schemes.
For everyday citizens, small market traders, and mobile wallet users across Uganda, the message from this digital finance conference is simple and practical: protecting your hard-earned money requires both personal caution and stronger computer protection.
While telecom companies and banks continue to build smarter automated tools to block phone thieves, users must remember never to share their secret four-digit PIN code with anyone on the phone, no matter how polite or official the caller sounds.
About the Author
Jennifer Sakmufuwo Baba is a tech analyst, senior staff, and writer covering artificial intelligence, cybersecurity , and emerging technologies at TechRegard. Based in Nigeria, she's passionate about translating complex tech developments into compelling, accessible stories for diverse audiences. Her work focuses on how technology shapes innovation across Africa and globally.
