THE days of “Impiya shabalanda nashifuma, tumeni NRC” messages flooding people’s phones may soon be over, thanks to Section 12 of Zambia’s Cyber Security Act No. 4 of 2025, which cracks down on computer related misrepresentation and fraud.
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For years, scammers who usually use the language for monkey eaters of Northern Province have used strange phone numbers to send deceptive mobile money messages, claiming that social cash transfer funds have been mistakenly sent or that recipients can access government money if they submit personal details like NRCs or mobile money agent information.
Once gullible victims respond, these fraudsters often steal funds or gain unauthorised access to mobile money accounts.
But now, Section 12 of the law makes such acts a criminal offence, whether the message is sent by SMS, WhatsApp or any other digital platform.
“A person shall not intentionally and without lawful authority, input, alter, delete, or suppress computer data resulting in inauthentic data, with the intent that the inauthentic data be considered or acted on by another person as if it were authentic, regardless of whether the data is directly readable or intelligible,” reads Section 12 (1).
“A person commits an offence if that person with intent to defraud or deceive another person for the purpose of procuring an
economic benefit for oneself or another person— (a) inputs, alters, deletes or suppresses electronic data; or (b), interferes with the functioning of a computer or computer system,” stated the law.
Anyone who fabricates a fake Airtel or MTN mobile money message to make it appear as if they have sent you money, when in fact they haven’t is also creating inauthentic data with the intent to deceive.
Such offenders face a period of five years in prison and a fine not exceeding approximately K150,000 or both.
However, the law does not only target scammers using fake social cash transfer messages.
It also applies to all forms of electronic data manipulation such as forging digital school reports to qualify for a bursary, tampering with electronic job application documents, interfering with hospital systems to alter patient records and hacking websites or changing content without permission.
Any form of data alteration, suppression or interference when done without lawful authority and with the intent to deceive or defraud is punishable under Section 12.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, May 6, 2025
