The legal framework
The Computer Misuse Act 2011, as amended, and penal code provisions on personation and obtaining by false pretences cover identity fraud. The national identity card is required for SIM registration and mobile money, so the loss of a card can quickly become the loss of an account. The Uganda Police cyber crime unit handles reports.
Key points
| Statutes | Computer Misuse Act 2011 as amended, and penal code personation offences |
|---|---|
| National ID | Required for SIM registration; report loss to NIRA and the police |
| Mobile money | Report to the operator immediately; keep the transaction references |
| Data protection | Data Protection and Privacy Act 2019 for the underlying breach |
| Enforcement | Uganda Police Force Cyber Crime Unit |
| Banking | Bank of Uganda for unresolved complaints against a bank |
| Bank of Uganda | Handles unresolved complaints |
In practice
- Call the mobile money operator's fraud line as soon as you notice a transaction you did not make.
- Report the loss of a national ID to NIRA and to the police, and keep both references.
- Open a police case and request the cyber crime unit.
- Change PINs on every financial service and never share a one-time code.
- Never share a mobile money PIN or one-time code, whatever the caller ID shows.
Where to go
- Uganda Police Force Cyber Crime Unit.
- NIRA for national identity cards.
- Bank of Uganda complaints desk.
Worth knowing
No legitimate agent or operator ever asks for your mobile money PIN or for a one-time code: any such request is fraud, whatever caller ID it shows. No legitimate agent or operator ever asks for your PIN. Any such request is fraud, however official the call appears.
Official sources and links
- UN Human Rights Office — ratified treaties and country reviews
- ILO NATLEX — national legislation database