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Another cyber fraudster arrested in Iganga
A search of his Samsung A05 phone turned up eight active TikTok accounts allegedly used to run the scam. Kisambira is now in custody at Iganga Central Police Station awaiting transfer to Kampala, where the case originated.
Another cyber fraudster arrested in Iganga
By: Simon Masaba, Journalist @New Vision
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A day after detectives in Iganga arrested a 22-year-old man accused of running a network of fake TikTok accounts, police said the case involves a wider racket of criminals involved in abusing the SIM card registration process.
Ali Kisambira, a resident of Nampirika 'A' village in Nakalama sub-county, was picked up by territorial police in Iganga working alongside detectives from Central Police Station, Kampala.
According to Michael Kasadha, the Busoga East Regional police spokesperson, Kisambira allegedly used the Haji Yasin Foundation as a cover to defraud Ugandans online.
A search of his Samsung A05 phone turned up eight active TikTok accounts allegedly used to run the scam. Kisambira is now in custody at Iganga Central Police Station awaiting transfer to Kampala, where the case originated.
The arrest comes as police intensify a broader crackdown on fraud networks operating out of Iganga, which detectives now describe as one of the country's emerging hotspots for organised cyber fraud.
Just days earlier, seven suspects were arrested in Nandukulu village in an operation linked to a syndicate that was impersonating First Daughter Natasha Museveni Karugire to solicit money from the public. This brings the total number of arrests in the case to eleven since investigations began five months ago.
The arrest comes as police intensify a broader crackdown on fraud networks operating out of Iganga, which detectives now describe as one of the country's emerging hotspots for organised cyber fraud.
Just days earlier, seven suspects were arrested in Nandukulu village in an operation linked to a syndicate that was impersonating First Daughter Natasha Museveni Karugire to solicit money from the public. This brings the total number of arrests in the case to eleven since investigations began five months ago.
While briefing journalists at the police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, today, Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma said the common thread running through most of these cases is not lack of SIM card registration, but registered lines being handed over to people other than the account holders. This practice, Kituuma said, is frustrating investigators nationwide.
“The challenge is not unregistered SIM cards. The problem is misplaced ownership, where someone registers a SIM card using their credentials and then hands it over to another person,” Kituuma said, noting that relatives often register lines on behalf of people without national ID cards, unknowingly giving cover to fraudsters.
He said police intend to raise the matter formally with telecom companies while also pressing the public to take greater responsibility. “This requires sensitisation by security agencies, telecom companies and every responsible member of society,” he said.
Authorities also flagged a related case in which a woman was arrested for allegedly defrauding a Member of Parliament of sh60 million by falsely claiming to work in the Office of the President, part of what Kituuma described as a growing scam economy targeting job seekers, visa applicants and people seeking financial assistance.
“Never pay registration or processing fees via social media,” Kituuma warned, adding that; "People are losing sh5 million, sh10 million and more in these scams."
“The challenge is not unregistered SIM cards. The problem is misplaced ownership, where someone registers a SIM card using their credentials and then hands it over to another person,” Kituuma said, noting that relatives often register lines on behalf of people without national ID cards, unknowingly giving cover to fraudsters.
He said police intend to raise the matter formally with telecom companies while also pressing the public to take greater responsibility. “This requires sensitisation by security agencies, telecom companies and every responsible member of society,” he said.
Authorities also flagged a related case in which a woman was arrested for allegedly defrauding a Member of Parliament of sh60 million by falsely claiming to work in the Office of the President, part of what Kituuma described as a growing scam economy targeting job seekers, visa applicants and people seeking financial assistance.
“Never pay registration or processing fees via social media,” Kituuma warned, adding that; "People are losing sh5 million, sh10 million and more in these scams."