• Ghana to introduce biometric-linked SIM law to fight fraud
• Mobile money fraud made up 20% of 2023 financial scams
• New system to boost data security, traceability, and trust

The Ghanaian government plans to introduce a new legal framework for SIM card registration to combat the rise in mobile money fraud, Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations Samuel Nartey George announced on Friday, September 5.

The minister made the announcement in Accra during a meeting with telecom operators and religious leaders. The new legislation, expected to be submitted to parliament in October, would link every SIM card to the biometric database of the National Identification Authority (NIA).

This new system will rely on biometric verification, the integration of a centralized equipment identity register, and data synchronization with the NIA to make fraud more difficult. The ministry also plans to strengthen personal data protection, particularly among mobile money agents, who are often identified as the weakest link in the system.

Ghana has one of Africa's highest rates of mobile money adoption. A GSMA report shows that the country's mobile money penetration rate reached 200% at the end of 2023, with 66 million registered accounts for a population of 33 million. More than 55% of the population uses the service for payments and transfers. This expansion, however, has been accompanied by a surge in fraud.

According to the Bank of Ghana's 2023 financial stability report, 13,451 cases of fraud were reported across the financial sector. Mobile money fraud accounted for 20% of these cases, nearly 2,700 incidents involving electronic wallets such as MTN MoMo, Vodafone Cash, and AirtelTigo Money.

By establishing a stricter legal framework and integrating with biometric databases, authorities hope to significantly reduce system vulnerabilities and limit identity theft. The initiative is expected to boost public confidence in digital financial services, improve transaction traceability, and ultimately strengthen the country's digital ecosystem against growing cybercrime.

Samira Njoya