A top minister in Cameroon told local divisions of Orange and MTN to impose mandatory identification for senders and recipients of mobile money transactions, in the wake of a spate of ransom payments made over cash transfer services, Agence Cameroun Presse reported.
The news agency cited comments from the country’s minister of territorial administration Paul Atanga Nji, following a meeting with the two operators, highlighting the issue of payments being made following demands from separatists.
Nji estimated in the last four months almost XAF540 million (US$916,064) in ransoms had been paid by those in English-speaking communities in the north west and south west of the country, using a range of cash transfer services.
Although not specifying the sums which came from Orange or MTN users, Nji informed representatives from the companies they must introduce an identification process for both senders and recipients of funds.
Mobile money transfers between users of the same platform are traced as both parties have to be registered. However, when transfers are sent to those on another operator, the transaction goes via a code, which is then redeemed at a physical agent rather than deposited directly in an account.
Operators were given 45 days to comply with the request, with both reportedly supportive of the move. –Mobile World Live