English
Kinyarwanda
With the enormous advances in technology and telecommunication industries, new modes of communication, transactions and computers are now being used in almost all walks of life including financial institutions, telecom companies, manufacturing industry, universities, insurance companies, law enforcement, or governmental agencies.
The use of technology has not only helped governments, businesses, and individuals; unfortunately, it has also enabled criminals with sophisticated knowledge to use it in illegitimate ways.
Organized crime has entered the cyber crime arena.
Although cyber related crimes are relatively a new phenomenon in Rwanda, the existing cases remains a threat to the community as many continue to fall victims of conmen- who in most cases take advantage of one’s ignorance and laxity
Security organs work tirelessly to ensure public awareness in cyber security.
In the wake of these campaigns, in Nyagatare District, Eastern Province, Rwanda National Police busted a racket of tech-thieves.
One of those arrested is one Pierre Gakuru, 23, who hailed from Kicukiro District and had travelled to the Eastern region apparently to carry out his planned cyber scheme
He was arrested in connection with robbing a Mobile Money agent of Rwf75, 000.
According to the Police, the suspect tricked the agent into believing that he was withdrawing money.
“I gave him the phone to enter his password so that I process the transaction, suddenly, the system failed and when I restored it I realized he had managed to transfer Rwf 75,000 to himself without my knowledge. That’s when I reported to police that tracked and arrested him,” said the victim.
Police spokesperson for the Eastern Region, Inspector of Police Emmanuel Kayigi said the public should be alert saying that such offenders have varied tricks and sophisticated ways of conning or robbing using technology.
“Sometimes someone pretends to be in hurry and wants to make a transaction so fast yet the intention is to rob. Tech-criminals have now moved in cities and trading centers targeting the uninformed population,” said IP Kayigi.
Similar cases of mobile money theft have been reported in the past few months.
One of the tricks used, fraudsters sometimes swap phone of their targets and withdraw the amount of money deposited on the mobile accounts.
In November last year, two people were apprehended in connection with running a cybercrime ring that conducted a sophisticated scheme through which they illegally obtained Rwf495 million from Tigo Rwanda.
According to the 2012 Norton Cyber Crime report, every second, 18 adults become victims of cybercrime.
To respond to such cyber threat incidences, Rwanda has been making efforts to protect its cyberspace and has since established a National Computer Security Incident Response Centre to monitor cyber security situation and assess risks.
In April, Cabinet approved a national cyber security policy which aims at protecting the national infrastructure from cyber-attacks as well as safeguarding individual and organization’s personal data and information.
Rwanda National Police has mounted efforts in dealing with contemporary crimes and as a result, rackets have been busted and offenders brought to justice.
In March, RNP held a workshop that brought together different law enforces to chart ways of dealing with contemporary crimes, among them including cyber crimes.
It is imperative that law enforcers learn the latest technologies, understand how technologies are abused by criminals, as well as how to deploy technology to enhance investigation and prosecution.
In addition to this, enforcement organs have to cooperate more closely by sharing intelligence information, investigating wanted criminals and conducting joint enforcement actions.
In a similar efforts, officers from Rwanda National Police have also acquired skills in using he Interpol communication tool called I-24/7.
I-24/7 is software that connects all the Interpol member countries to trace wanted persons, stolen and lost documents and vehicles among others.
On a regional level, investigators in cybercrime from East African Community (EAC) member states have previously received extended trainings in cybercrime investigations and electronic evidence to enhance strategies against IT-led crimes.
Cyber crime knows no border. Virtually every form of crime – from child exploitation to intellectual property theft, to terrorism, to mobile banking services – can be perpetuated or facilitated in cyber space.
