Ghana plans biometric SIM registration to fight mobile money fraud 🇬🇭📱

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As mobile money fraud surges, Ghana is rolling out an ambitious legal framework to tighten digital security. Starting in October 2025, lawmakers will review a bill requiring every SIM card to be linked to the country’s national biometric database. The goal: protect users and rebuild trust in digital financial services.

A response to rising fraud 🔐

Mobile money fraud has become a pressing challenge for Ghanaian authorities. On September 5 in Accra, during a meeting with telecom operators and religious leaders, Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies Samuel Nartey George announced a new legal framework for SIM card registration.

The initiative would link every SIM card to the biometric records of the National Identification Authority (NIA). It will also introduce a centralized equipment identity register (CEIR) and strengthen data synchronization between mobile operators and the NIA. Officials say the system is designed to curb identity theft and fraudulent account activity.

A booming but vulnerable market 💳

Ghana is one of Africa’s fastest-growing mobile money markets. According to GSMA, penetration hit 200% by the end of 2023, with 66 million accounts in a country of just 33 million people. More than half of the population relies on mobile money for daily payments and transfers.

But rapid adoption has also made the ecosystem a target for fraudsters. The Bank of Ghana’s 2023 Financial Stability Report recorded 13,451 cases of financial fraud, nearly 2,700 of them tied to mobile money—around 20% of the total. Popular wallets like MTN MoMo, Vodafone Cash, and AirtelTigo Money are among the most frequently attacked.

Building digital trust 🫱🏾‍🫲🏽

For the government, a stricter legal framework is key to strengthening trust in digital finance. By integrating biometric data and tightening oversight of mobile equipment, authorities hope not only to protect consumers but also to safeguard mobile money agents—often considered the system’s weakest link.

In the long run, the reforms aim to improve transaction traceability, reduce cybercrime risks, and stabilize Ghana’s digital economy. Officials believe that by bolstering security and transparency, they can drive even broader adoption of digital financial services.

👉🏾 What do you think—will biometric SIM registration be an effective way to fight mobile money fraud?