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RICA offers no protection

Farzana Rasool
By Farzana Rasool, ITWeb IT in Government Editor.
Johannesburg, 13 Jan 2011

The country's SIM card registration law does not offer protection against mobile fraud, says the Wireless Application Service Providers' Association of SA (Waspa).

Waspa has moved to correct misconceptions that the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information (RICA) Act will protect mobile users.

“The truth is that RICA is not designed to prevent mobile consumers from becoming victims of cellular scams and common sense remains consumers' best defence.”

The law is designed to limit crime committed using cellphones and curb the theft of such devices. It requires all cellular operators to register their subscribers' identity numbers and proof of residence by 11 June, or cut them off from the network.

Defenceless Act

Waspa highlights the fact that RICA is intended to help authorities track down subscribers with SIM cards linked to criminal activity.

“RICA, however, provides little or no protection from scammers, who may work around the constraints of RICA, or even use international numbers to launch their schemes,” says chairman Leon Perlman.

The organisation notes that many users of mobile content and services incorrectly believe the new Act safeguards them in some way against mobile spam and mobile 419-type scams.

Golden rule

“Watch out for unlikely sounding messages that announce that you've won a lottery or competition that you didn't enter. Many will claim to be from legitimate companies; check with these companies if they have such promotions, either by contacting them directly or by researching on the Internet,” warns Perlman.

He adds that users should watch for advance-fee scams, which claim to be moving large sums of money and require users' “assistance”, messages that offer easy money or seem designed to draw users into pyramid schemes.

“The golden rule is still if it seems too good to be true, then it is probably too good to be true. Cyber crimes, which have translated into mobile phone scams, are very difficult to solve or prosecute. That means a greater responsibility on the part of every consumer: you have to be your first and best line of defence, as prevention is possible while cure is not.”

Perlman further advises that users avoid replying to any commercial messages that do not originate from a Waspa member.

“Those from our members will include prominent opt-out or unsubscribe details, as well as the contact number for the member.”

Double edge

RICA may, in fact, be further exposing registered South Africans to unscrupulous marketers, as the entire SIM registration process is potentially open to abuse.

However, mobile operators downplay this and are adamant their databases are secure. They do admit the SIM registration Act does not clarify how personal details should be secured, and the data handed over by mobile users - to avoid falling foul of the law - is being leaked.

As a result, millions of people are at risk of falling prey to identity theft, because the SIM card registration Act requires that every single person living in SA register their phone numbers, proof of residence, and identity number.

ITWeb has already heard several reports from people who have been contacted by marketers and debt collectors as a direct consequence of registering their details. Moreover, SMS inboxes are overflowing with spam almost as soon as people register.

The information should only be used for law-enforcement reasons. Yet this is not the case, as the mounting pile of evidence shows people's details are somehow escaping the database or the collection process.

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