“Competition Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC – Zambia) Director Consumer Protection Brian Lingela Thursday 16th April, 2020 Press Statement on Beware of False Online and Mobile Banking Agents”

Rainford Mutabi CCPC Zambia Public Relations Officer

By Rainford Mutabi CCPC – Zambia Public Relations Officer (PRO)

Kelvin Bwalya Fube at Thursday 9 May 2019 ICPEN Conference Livingstone Freedom for Consumers through Global Collaboration

THE Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) chaired by Lusaka lawyer,  Counsel Kelvin Bwalya Fube would like to warn the general public to be cautious of suspected false online banking agents masquerading as employees for various banking institutions in the country to steal from unsuspecting consumers in the wake of COVID-19.

This comes after the Commission received complaints from the general public who allege to have been victimized by unscrupulous individuals claiming to be bank agents soliciting for personal banking details from unsuspecting consumers in order to hack into their system and steal money.

CCPC Director Consumer Protection, Brian Lingela has issued the warning observing that with the use of online and mobile banking services in view of the COVID 19 outbreak that has necessitated the use of online and mobile banking services, consumers of such services were now at risk of being attacked by fraudsters posing as online commercial bank agents to extort money.

CCPC Director Consumer Protection Brian Lingela

Advised Mr. Lingela: “We have noticed that since most consumers now use online and mobile banking services as an alternative to physical banking following COVID 19, fraudsters are moving swiftly to try and extort money by phoning unsuspecting consumers asking them to change their personal details like the Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to for instance migrate them to a bank’s new system when in fact not.”

Kakomaa Kanganja is IG of Zambia Police Service with Esther mwata Kazembe

Lingela, a journalist by profession has urged Consumers to take precautionary measures by verifying the authenticity of such suspected online and mobile banking agents with respective commercial banks and ensure that they do not disclose their personal banking information such as names, account, PIN numbers as well as National Registration Card (N.R.C) details to suspicious individuals to avoid being swindled.

ZICTA Director General Patrick Mutimushi

CCPC Executive Director Chilufya Sampa

The Commission led by  CCPC Executive Director, Chilufya Sampa has vowed to work with the Zambia Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ZICTA) Director General, Patrick Mutimushi and Zambia Police Service (ZPS) Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kakoma Kanganja to ensure that perpetrators of such fraudulent conduct are identified and punished. Such fraudulent conduct  is prohibited under Section 308 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia and offenders are liable to imprisonment for 3 (three) years.

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