Shock as Subscriber Finds Out Her ID was Used to Register 13 Safaricom SIM Cards

A Safaricom subscriber has narrated on social media how she was shocked to find out that her Identity Card (ID) has been used to register more than 10 sim cards, without her knowledge.

The user identified as Lorna Gikabu says she discovered her ID has been used to register 13 sim cards on Safaricom network and most of them are active and being used by persons unknown to her.

“How do you allow 13 numbers on one ID in the first place? Does anyone in this country own 13 Safaricom lines? Especially Safaricom lines except for fraudsters or corporates perhaps? Your guys told me CAK gives freedom to register as many lines as one wants? No wonder you have problems with Fraudsters using your lines,” laments Ms. Gikabu.

To add salt to the wound, Ms. Lorna says three of these sim cards have used to borrow loans on credit apps; Branch and Pezesha and her name have been listed on Credit Reference Bureau (CRB), after defaulting.

“I contacted both. Branch was a bit helpful led me to you guys. Pezesha not so much…poor customer service,” she says.

When she reported the incident to Safaricom, the subscriber was asked to obtain an OB number from the police.

“I agreed to get your able fraud team at HO an OB (to think that your able fraud team has not thought of a solution to the duplicated number of fraud cases plaguing Kenyans silently, from the group of Canadian Doctors working in Lodwar, to M-Akiba loans at 0.5% interest),” she says in a post on Safaricom’s Facebook page.

She decided to visit Naivasha Road Police Station in Kawangware with the list of phone numbers registered using her ID. To her shock, the numbers had been switched off, pointing out to possibilities of an inside job.

“A nice police officer keenly listened to my story at the reception, and offered me a solution…that as much as their police station looks ‘big’, the Government has not equipped them with facilities to deal with forgery incidents and kindly directed me to Kabete Police station,” she narrates.

Lorna now wants Safaricom to take responsibility and settle the cash required to clear her name from CRB and pay the loans taken using the sim cards.

The incident comes at a time when Safaricom is hit by cases of fraud involving swapping of sim cards.

 Several suspects including the telecommunications company's employees have been arrested and charged in connection with sim card swap fraud.