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The Government of Sierra Leone has warned citizens to verify all digital requests for money independently as cases of mobile money fraud and WhatsApp account hijacking continue to rise across the country.
Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation Salima Monorma Bah issued the warning on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, while addressing Parliament following a summons involving the Ministry, the National Communications Authority (NaTCA), and mobile network operators over the growing threat of digital scams.
Bah explained that many reported cases are not the result of sophisticated hacking but involve social engineering, where criminals deceive victims into revealing sensitive information, including verification codes.
She further disclosed that fraudsters are increasingly creating fake social media accounts using the names and photographs of ministers, Members of Parliament, and other senior government officials to trick people into sending money.
To tackle the problem, the government is implementing a three-pronged approach focused on public awareness, stronger consumer protection measures, and improved law enforcement investigations.
The minister said the Ministry, in partnership with NaTCA and telecom operators, has launched nationwide sensitisation campaigns encouraging citizens to “pause and verify” before responding to digital requests for funds.
Bah revealed that Orange Sierra Leone has recorded about 390 mobile money fraud complaints this year and has responded to more than 18,000 requests from the Sierra Leone Police for Know Your Customer (KYC) information to support investigations.
She added that the government remains committed to completing the nationwide SIM registration and National Identification Number (NIN) linkage exercise, which she said will strengthen accountability and assist security agencies in tracing perpetrators of digital fraud.
