Parliament has expressed serious concern over the increasing incidents of WhatsApp account hacking and mobile money fraud across Sierra Leone, with lawmakers calling for urgent action to protect citizens from cybercriminals.

The matter was raised during a sitting of Parliament by the Opposition Chief Whip, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, who lamented that many Sierra Leoneans have become victims of scammers who hack WhatsApp accounts and use them to solicit money from unsuspecting relatives, friends and colleagues.

Addressing the House, Hon. Kamara described the trend as a growing national security concern, noting that almost every day citizens either become victims of the scam or know someone who has been targeted.

He explained that while hacking itself is a problem, the greater concern is that fraudsters provide registered mobile money numbers for victims to send money, making it difficult to understand why the perpetrators cannot be traced and prosecuted. Hon. Kamara recounted a recent incident in which the WhatsApp account of a close friend was compromised.

According to him, the fraudster provided an Orange Money number to receive financial assistance. Although the number displayed the registered account holder's name during the transaction, he said victims are often informed by the telecommunications company that the number is unregistered whenever complaints are lodged. He questioned how a mobile money account could display an account holder's identity during a transaction, yet later be described as unregistered during investigations.

The lawmaker further alleged that the same numbers have reportedly been used repeatedly in multiple fraud cases, raising concerns about possible weaknesses in customer verification and fraud detection systems.

Hon. Kamara observed that a significant number of the reported scams appeared to involve Orange Money accounts. While acknowledging that he was not making a definitive accusation against the company, he argued that the recurring pattern warranted a thorough investigation.

He stressed that Sierra Leoneans were already grappling with poor network services and should not also be left vulnerable to cybercriminals exploiting the telecommunications system. "We need to save our people," Hon. Kamara declared, warning that fraudsters target anyone whose contacts are stored in a hacked WhatsApp account, often exploiting emergencies and personal relationships to deceive victims into sending money. Responding to the concerns, Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, described the matter as one requiring immediate parliamentary attention.

The Speaker directed the Clerk of Parliament to invite the Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation to appear before Parliament at the next appropriate sitting. He further instructed that the Minister should be accompanied by the leadership of Orange Sierra Leone to answer questions from Members of Parliament regarding the increasing cases of cyber fraud and the company's response to customer complaints.

Hon. Thomas said Parliament expects a comprehensive explanation of the measures being taken to strengthen customer protection, enhance fraud detection mechanisms, and cooperate with law enforcement agencies in tracking criminals who use mobile money platforms to defraud citizens.

The Speaker's directive was welcomed by Members of Parliament, who argued that stronger accountability from telecommunications operators is essential to restoring public confidence in digital financial services.

The planned parliamentary engagement is expected to provide lawmakers with an opportunity to scrutinize the effectiveness of existing cybersecurity measures and consider additional safeguards to combat the growing threat of online fraud and mobile money scams in Sierra Leone.