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…a focus on the last three months as the survey shows

TransUnion Zambia, in its newly conducted survey, has indicated that digital fraud attempts were a pressing issue for Zambian consumers in the last three months.

The report, dubbed “Consumer Pulse Study for Quarter 2” showed that 76 percent of those surveyed reported they were targeted by such schemes in the last three months, although they successfully avoided falling victim.

Before we get into detail, let us first look at what digital fraud is. Digital fraud happens when someone uses a computer or other device with access to the internet to deceive or abuse web-enabled assets, usually for financial gain.

Digital, internet, or online fraud is when hackers and fraudsters use the internet to defraud victims of their money or information.

Internet fraud is increasing year-on-year with attacks and breaches becoming more and more sophisticated.

Getting back to the survey conducted by TransUnion, only 15 percent were unaware of any attempts, while nine percent became victims in the last three months.

The most common types of fraud schemes picked by the survey included money/gift card scams, “smishing” (fraudulent text messages aimed at tricking the recipient into revealing personal data), and phishing or vishing scams (one in three consumers).

Smishing was reported most frequently by Millennials and Baby Boomers; the latter also reported a higher occurrence of vishing attempts at 56 percent.

Digital fraud covers all online fraud such as phishing scams, identity theft, online impersonation, ransomware attacks, and porting. The latter consists of hackers transferring your mobile phone number from one service provider to another to access your personal and financial information.

Internet fraudsters are generally out to get your money, but they can also be angling for sensitive information. For individuals who have been defrauded through an online scam, this can be upsetting and financially worrying.

For businesses, digital fraud does not just siphon away your hard-earned profits: it can negatively affect the brand reputation that you spent time, effort, and money building.

The TransUnion survey indicates that 95 percent of Zambian respondents expressed apprehension about sharing personal information.

The primary reasons for concern were fears of privacy invasion and receiving unsolicited marketing communications.

This finding underscores the critical necessity of strengthening security measures and fostering trust in financial transactions and interactions.

According to the survey, digital fraud posed a considerable challenge. The good news however is that an alarming 85 percent of consumers were aware of fraudulent schemes directed against them in the past three months.

There are a variety of reasons for the increase in online fraud. For example, the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a steep rise in scams and cyberattacks.

Opportunistic fraudsters took advantage of the chaos imposed by the crisis, such as creating phishing websites and sending out scam emails and texts.

Electronic commerce has also been gradually shifting online. At the same time, there are more and more e-commerce platforms popping up, meaning that fraudsters can create a fake website and the customer is none the wiser.

Of course, bad actors are also becoming more sophisticated in their tactics, outsmarting businesses and customers.

Digital fraud can however be prevented and here is how. Through phishing attacks, identity theft, and malware, online thieves pick the digital pockets of both individuals and companies, stealing money or information.

Keep your information safe by limiting how much you share it. Only provide it when necessary.

It may feel normal to provide your first and last name and your address when creating an account somewhere, but if there is a security breach on the website, the information could fall into the hands of fraudsters.  

Be vigilant with what you share on social media, too. Using fraudulent messages that appear to come from trustworthy sources, a scammer could try to obtain your personal information.

This is called phishing; it is one of the biggest issues when it comes to Internet fraud and is often done through email, text message, or by phone.

For targeted attacks, cybercriminals also use social media. The personal information you share on your account (your identity, but also your workplace, your birthday, and your interests) could help increase the credibility of a phishing attack on you.

This is called social engineering. To avoid this kind of intrusion, check your privacy settings (by default, your profile may be public) and beware of fake or unknown profiles.

Using your usernames and passwords, a cybercriminal could access your accounts and commit Internet fraud.

Your login information could also be sold to other cybercriminals on the dark web, an unregulated part of the Internet that is often associated with illegal practices.

To protect your login information from getting stolen, create a strong password unique to each account and enable two-factor authentication whenever it is offered.

Where possible, protect your home computer by keeping your software and antivirus up to date.

By GRACE CHAILE

The International Drug Company Limited has asked the Lusaka High Court to enter interlocutory judgement in default of appearance and defence against social media blogger, Simon Mwewa, for defamation of character.

Mr Mwewa accused the company of being involved in the alleged illegal Asian-Zambia pharmaceutical cartel.

The company is claiming damages for libel contained in a live online live blog known as SMLTV entitled “The truth about Asian-Zambia Pharmaceutical Cartel” published by Mr Mwewa

It also wants damages for malicious falsehood, loss of business and reputational damage and injury to the business.

The Company has now filed an affidavit in support of exparte summons for leave to enter interlocutory judgement in default of appearance and defence against the defendant.

Mr Tennyson Msimuko of Andrew and Partners stated that the matter was commenced on June 27, 2023, and Mr Mwewa was served with the documents the next day. 

“That 14 days prescribed on the writ of summons to file an appearance and defence elapsed and the defendant has neither filed a defence nor caused an appearance to be entered in this matter. That I verily believe that the defendant has no valid defence to the claim herein,” he said. 

The plaintiff wants an unreserved apology, retraction and withdrawal of mentioned false, malicious and defamatory statements published on various dates from Mr Mwewa.

…as Bruce Mwape declares team ready for battle

By MICHAEL MIYOBA

CHIPOLOPOLO coach Avram Grant has urged the Copper Queens to believe in themselves as they have a chance to do well at the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup which started yesterday in Australia and New Zealand.

Grant said the Copper Queens have what it takes to compete in Group C which he described as the toughest group.

The Chipolopolo head gaffer said he has seen a lot of positives from the Copper Queens who have been finetuning since beating Germany 3-2 in their final pre-World Cup friendly match played on July 7 in Furth.

“From what I know and from what I saw, I think Group C is the toughest group because Spain is a fantastic team, Japan has a good team, and Costa Rica also but in football you never know. We have the players and the quality in the right places, I think the team can win games. It doesn’t matter if it is a tough group,” Grant said.

Meanwhile, Copper Queen’s coach Bruce Mwape says the girls are ready for the World Cup after working on their mistakes made in the game against Germany.

Mwape said the Copper Queens who will kick off their World Cup campaign with a clash against Japan tomorrow before facing Spain and Costa Rica in the other fixtures had done their homework to ensure that they commence their campaign with victory.

“We have done our homework. We have worked on the mistakes, especially the ones we identified during the game against Germany, and going forward I’m sure there will be an improvement, and as far as I’m concerned the team is ready for the World Cup,” Mwape said.

“We are ready for Japan and I’m sure even they are not sleeping, especially after beating Germany. They will make sure that they give us a tough time and even us we want to make sure that we carry the day,” Mwape said.

Mwape said the girls were motivated to make history at the World Cup following interactions with President Hakainde Hichilema and the Zambian community in New Zealand.

By MICHAEL MIYOBA

MINISTER of Sports Youth and Arts Elvis Nkandu attended the colorful and historical official opening of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.

Nkandu said he was delighted to have met FIFA President Gianni Infantino who recognized the efforts Zambia was making in supporting the development of women’s football.

The minister is in New Zealand to witness Zambia make history at the World Cup where they will compete in Group C with Japan, Spain, and Costa Rica.

Meanwhile, Zambia Sports Fans Association patron Peter Makembo has challenged the Copper Queens to make the country proud as they represent over 20 million Zambians at the global showpiece.

Makembo also hailed President Hakainde Hichilema for motivating the Copper Queens with a virtual call that boosted their confidence.

report

By NATION REPORTER

THE contentious and emotive National Prosecution Authority (amendment) Bill whose aim is to provide for the appointment of a chairman of the authority yesterday passed the report stage, paving the way for its enactment into law.

Although an amendment was effected by the Minister of Justice, Mlambo Haimbe, circumscribing the Board’s authority to administrative issues, members of the opposition still felt that the amendment was unconstitutional as it impeded the constitutional authority enjoyed by the DPP in accordance with the constitution.

The National Prosecution Authority (amendment) Bill brought a lot of controversy and emotions in the House after it was largely rejected by all major stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Committee, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), the Zambia Law Development Agency (ZLDA), the Public Protector and the DPP.

By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
ZAMBIA has been earmarked for the first pilot project of the digital payment platform for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region meant to promote financial inclusion.
The execution of the project is slated to start in January next year and will be up and running the same year in June.
To plan for the implementation of the project, COMESA through its Business Council (CBC) will next week convene the 5th Digital Financial Inclusion Public-Private Dialogue in Malawi to validate the draft operational plan.
This project will be piloted in eight with Zambia being the first followed by Malawi, CBC Chief Executive Officer Teddy Soobramanien told the media in Lusaka yesterday.
“This is a game changer for COMESA. This scheme represents a remarkable opportunity to drive economic growth and financial empowerment for all Financial inclusion ecosystems are key to sustainable development and economic progress,” Mr Soobramanien said.
Mr. Soobramanien explained that the focus of the project was on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that were engines of innovation, job creation, and poverty reduction.
“By harnessing the power of digital technology, we can unlock the unprecedented opportunities for them, empowering them to realize their full potential and contribute to the region’s prosperity,” he said.
At the meeting for next week, Mr. Soobramanien said CBC would hold the Zambia-Malawi Proof of Concept Workshop to exemplify the feasibility and benefits of the retail payment platform.
He outlined that stakeholders from the banking sector, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors, including mobile service providers, were among the participants.
And CBC Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Pinifolo, told the media that digital penetration among SMEs in the region was currently at 30 percent with most traders conducting cash transactions.
Dr Pinifolo said the SMEs through the retail digital payment platform would be able to access finance from commercial banks using statements from the online transactions as collateral.
“The payment system will lower the cost of transactions with traders being able to send money for as low as US$1 regardless of the amount,” he said.
Ends

‘ILLNESS’ has reportedly knocked Copper Queens midfielder Grace Chanda out of the FIFA World Cup on the eve of Zambia’s opening match against Japan. With Spain taking an early lead of Group C after a 3 – 0 win over Costa Rica, Zambia’s preparations for Japan have hit a setback with Chanda, one of the […]

By ROGERS KALERO

MINING companies should ensure they take on board workers’ interests when introducing new policies to avoid conflicts and ensure industrial harmony and increased production, Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) General Secretary George Mumba has said

Mr Mumba said new policy systems being introduced by mining companies should always be transparent to avoid suspicions but should instead build confidence in management thereby building a good industrial relationship and setting the stage for increased production

Mr. Mumba said during the Kagem Emerald Mining Limited (KAGEM)  Labour Day award ceremony that workers were the most valuable asset of any company and so deserved respect, motivation through proper remunerations, and better conditions of service

Mr. Mumba said he was happy that the union had continued to enjoy a good working relationship with management at Kagem

“The workers are not only great assets of any company, but they are also important stakeholders who deserve to be consulted and taken on board whenever the company is introducing new policies.”

And Kagem Emerald Mining Limited General Manager Adrian Prinsloo said the workers were the most important asset of any company and this was why the giant emerald mining company has always strived to properly motivate the workers through better conditions of service and remunerations

So far so good.

Lusaka, the country’s capital city is already looking clean after the removal of street vendors from the central business district.

The filth that littered the streets and islands have suddenly reduced as those responsible for the garbage are no longer there.

And although there are a few street vendors who have defied the orders to move, the government must not relent to remove them permanently and help them find trading places in markets and other designated trading places.

However, the problem of street vendors is not peculiar to Lusaka alone but is a menace throughout the country.

Thus, we welcome the government’s announcement that the clean-up exercise will be rolled out throughout the country.

After all, the problems that come with street vendors are the same – insecurity, clogged shop corridors and pavements, disrupting traffic flow, and the dirt that is created.

It makes it very difficult for the local authorities to maintain cleanliness.

It is important that the momentum to remove the street vendors is kept.

The announcement by Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo that the exercise will be carried out throughout the country is welcome.

Mr Nkombo, who yesterday made an on-the-spot tour of the CBD in Lusaka said the removal of vendors from streets would roll out to other provinces.

The Lusaka CBD had been an eyesore for decades with mountains of garbage while most of the illegal trading places were also open taverns and restaurants.

If anything, it is a miracle that Lusaka has been spared from the ravages of a cholera epidemic judging from the filth that was generated in the CBD.

The political will that Government has shown by moving against the hitherto untouchable street vendors must embolden councils throughout the country to join the crusade.

The country must return to the orderliness of yesteryears in which people traded from designated markets.

Those who did not either had hawker’s or peddler’s licenses that allowed them to move from place to place selling their wares.

This is not too much to ask.

As Mr. Nkombo commented in parliament yesterday, the new dawn administration campaigned on a platform of restoring orderliness in the country.

This is one clean-up that we think should not be politicized for the street vendors embrace people from across the political divide.  No one should cry foul that they have been discriminated again.

A plus for Mr. Nkombo is that former Lusaka Province Minister under the Patriotic Front Bowman Lusambo has commended him for the bold action to clear the Lusaka CBD of street vendors.

That, we think should be the spirit, to rise above petty political interests for the national good.

Thus, Government must keep the momentum up to bring sanity to the trading sector by removing street vendors and taking them to designated markets.

…Peter Sinkamba claims Zambia was going to lose US$3bn had government decided not to settle the matter outside court

By NATION REPORTER

GOVERNMENT would have lost over US$3 billion in damages had it gone ahead with the full court of arbitration in the matter involving the takeover of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) from Vedanta, Green Party president Peter Sinkamba has claimed.