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    Safaricom Says Customer Data is Safe

    Sam WakobaBy 3 Mins Read
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    bl19_cblnr_mobile_s_845096fIn a statement to the public, Kenya’s leading mobile operator has said no customer data has leaked as purported by a cross-section of Kenyans over the Deposit Protection Fund Board SMS texts, and the messages weren’t a hoax by fraudsters.

    Safaricom said the SMS broadcast to subscribers from the Deposit Protection Fund Board, a body under the Central Bank of Kenya was sent by them as authorized by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). Safaricom said the  authorized SMS Broadcast were sent to its entire subscriber base on behalf of DPFB which holds depositors’ funds with Kenya’s Daima Bank, Trust Bank and Fortune which are since defunct.

    “DPFB sought to reach out to the depositors through an SMS broadcast as they do not have mobile records of these depositors so that they can access their funds,” said the firm in a statement. “The SMS Broadcast originates from Safaricom and therefore no customer data has been shared with any external party.”

    DPFB reached out to depositors and creditors in good faith, as they only have one month to claim their money back, the refunds began last year February 25 and were said to only take one year for Daima Bank while those for Trust Bank and Fortune Finance will close  December this year.
    The three firms are among the 17 that under liquidation and DPFB has been running adverts in print appealing for all those depositors who have never appeared for payments to come forward. Data from the board puts the number of institutions that are currently under liquidation at 17. The law demands that the Fund pays depositors Ksh 100,000 immediately an institution is put under liquidation. Bulk depositors over Ksh 100,000 are guaranteed the Ksh100,000 and dividends based on the sale of the institution.
    The public outcry about a possible hack into Safaricom’s customer database are not just out of paranoia. US top retailer Target was recently hacked, leading to damage of over 110 million accounts leading to mounting pressure on U.S banks and merchants to secure credit- and debit-card data, and even forced to reissue cards.
    Below is Safaricom’s full statement.

    SAFARICOM ISSUES CLARIFICATION ON DPFB SMS BROADCAST

    Nairobi 14th Jan 2014…Safaricom would like to issue a clarification with regards to the SMS broadcast to our subscribers from the Deposit Protection Fund Board, a body under the Central Bank of Kenya

    • The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) in the public’s interest authorized Safaricom to send an SMS Broadcast to its entire subscriber base on behalf of DPFB.
    • The Deposit Protection Fund Board (DPFB) is holding depositors’ funds previously with three defunct financial institutions; Daima Bank, Trust Bank and Fortune.
    • DPFB sought to reach out to the depositors through an SMS broadcast as they do not have mobile records of these depositors so that they can access their funds.
    • The SMS Broadcast originates from Safaricom and therefore no customer data has been shared with any external party.

    About Safaricom

    Safaricom is one of the leading integrated communications companies in Africa with over 17 million subscribers. Safaricom provides a comprehensiv range of services under one roof: mobile and fixed voice as well as data services on a variety of platforms.

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    Taking you on tour through Africa's tech and business ecosystem, one story at a time since 2010! Based out of Nairobi, Kenya, Sam is the founder and managing director of Moran Media, which runs  TechMoran.com, various other digital platforms and a startup incubation hub for Kenya's youthful entrepreneurs. Drop me a mail at sam@techmoran.com

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