Here are the 5 latest tricks and common ways fraudsters and scammers in Uganda use to lure their targets into falling victims. If you’ve been conned already, you are lucky to be reading this.

Scam and fraud are everywhere just like they are in Uganda. Whether you are currently living in Uganda, planning to relocate here, or have a relative, friend, or family member within, this is a must-read article. By the end of it all, you will get to understand how scammers in Uganda do their work, and also find ways how to prevent yourself from these fraudsters.

When you hear Uganda being mentioned whether, in writing, verbal or audio, the first thing which runs into the viewer, listener, or reader is the Pearl of Africa. It is so true that Uganda is one country in Africa that is naturally gifted with natural things like lakes, rivers, national parks with animals and birds, landscapes and so many others in addition the country has many elites and non-elites among whom include the consummate scammers and fraud stars who operate both online and offline.

When you take a quick search on the popular search engine like Google and search for terms like scam or fraud, you will get to know that scammers and fraudsters not only do their work on an individual level but many go on and pose as organizations and companies. These all make the service seeker end up being scammed, which is why I compiled this list below.

5 Latest Scam and Fraud tricks in Uganda

• Fake Promotional And Winning Calls From Telecom

This is one of the common practices which goes on to the very ground by hitting even the lower level people. This activity involves a scammer impersonating him or herself as a telecom employee and making notification calls to a subscriber. A subscriber is then required to make airtime purchases and read it to the caller in order to have the win activated where one is promised to go to an isolated place to pick up the winning item or product

In order to be on the safe side, it is very important to contact your telephone provider and make an inquiry about the win before responding to such people since they usually don.t call once. This helps you to know whether it’s true or fake.

• Fake Abroad Relatives/Friends Gifts/Item Pick Ups

Fraud and scams are sometimes hard to tell who actually is doing it. In many cases, people around us are the ones who do that job. With this, it involves a scammer calling and notifying one how a friend or relative living abroad has sent an item or gift which can even be money. One is requested to Wire money on a Mobile Money account in order to have the items delivered. The money is said to be help fees and transport cost coverage although, in the end, one is conned since there is nothing.

In order to be helped, it is important to first contact those whom you suspect to have sent you something and once they confirm it’s okay but when not, then know that you are being scammed. No person can send you anything through a friend and never notifies you in Advance.

• Fake Work Abroad & Locally Opportunities

In this world where everyone is hunting for a Job, many have ended up being conned and scammed. You know that many people are constantly looking for greener pastures which are believed to be found abroad. This has created a big opportunity for scammers to use it as a chance when conning people in promise to find them Jobs.

It is very important to make one show proof of a Job opportunity before paying since no one works for free. Failure to provide such should make you suspect of being conned.

• Fake Official Document Processing

This is another common practice due to the high demand for such documents as a Driving permit, a Passport, a TIN Number, and others. You know that there are so many fake document processors in any place with no exception in Kampala or Uganda. This means that if one tells you to give in money and promises to bring to you a ready document, you should suspect a scam in there. Most official documents require one to go to the office personally at least for presenting or scanning which is the case for Kyambogo and the Driving permit.

This can be avoided by you who require the document to ask the processor to present you other than waiting for a ready document even when you are required to present yourself for pick up.

• Selling Of Fake Stuff, Products & Items

Its common for many old item sellers especially those dealing in used phones and computers to trick people, make them pay, and never refund in cases when an item or product stops working and within the guaranteed time frame. On Nalubega Complex on Bombo road, my friend was conned $200 which is the equivalent of Uganda Shillings 400,000+ when he paid for an Acer Laptop from Ssalongo (S.M Ltd) which never worked for a single day. He returned it and until now months after, he never got a refund and nor another working machine apart from the comeback tomorrow talk. Facebook is a common market and promotional place for such people so be aware.

To stay off from this, you should always ensure that you buy a new item from a real shop not those fake shops around town. Old and used items are only good when bought from a legitimate seller who can do a refund or exchange a product once it fails to work other than playing around with coming back tomorrow or later which will never come.

• SIM Card Re-verification

SIM card recertification is one of the latest fraudster trends in Uganda. Scammers abruptly will call you letting you know about how your SIM card needs to be reverified by UCC. They introduce themselves as Uganda Communication Commission staff and ask you to confirm if you have a national ID. In due course, they will give you a code to input on your phone and enter your mobile money PIN to confirm.

And if you enter your PIN, your money will be taken away and you will have fallen victim to a mobile money scam. This is found on all networks irrespective of whether MTN Uganda or Airtel.

5 Common Internet Fraud and Scam

• International Lottery Winning

This is where you get an email that seems to be legit letting you how you have won lots of dollars. In many cases, the receiver has no knowledge of the above and many share having not participated and nor having shared their emails on the internet. If you happen to see such an email, you should inquire thoroughly before falling victim since the end result is being asked to fill out forms and then paying processing money.

• Automobiles Promotions

This is similar to the above although, for it, the mail is sent and originates from an automobile company. The mail tells one how he or she has been chosen as a winner from any supplied auto company. This too requires thorough investigation unless you are sure that you have been a participant.

• Credit Card promotions

Due to the high need for such cards, many people end up being conned by the same name. Scammers use brands and known names of big companies like Master card or Visa and send emails alerting one of being a winner of cards loaded with huge amounts. If you know that you never participated in anything, it’s wise to avoid such emails.

• Email promotions and winning

At least all of us happen to use free emails from either Yahoo, Microsoft, or others. This is very advantageous to scammers since they use such addresses to con the users. I remember when one send me an email of having won thousands of dollars from the Microsoft email lottery even when I had never owned a single Microsft email.

Inheritance scams

• Now, this is one of the common ones which exist in almost any place be on social sites and others. If you read this post about identifying and getting rid of scammers on Facebook, you must be knowing how it starts and how it ends.

Final Word

Fighting fraud is the responsibility of each and every one of us. Always try to be aware and report anything you take to be a scam or fraud to the nearest authorities. That way, we will be able to save many of our brothers and sisters from falling victims.