Nairobi — Investigations into SIM swap fraud at Safaricom have surged by 327 percent to 47 cases this year, up from 11 last year, the telco has revealed.

A SIM swap fraud occurs when criminals trick a mobile service provider into transferring a victim's phone number to a SIM card they control, allowing them to access calls, text messages, and two-factor authentication codes for online accounts.

The rise in investigations comes even as Safaricom intensifies efforts to curb the crime through stricter mobile registration procedures and increased investment in cybersecurity systems.

Last year, the company reported that it had reduced malicious SIM swaps to just 40 out of every 750,000 transactions.

"Safaricom continues to prioritise robust anti-corruption monitoring to strengthen governance, promote transparency, and reinforce ethical standards across the organisation and its subsidiaries. Our approach combines proactive risk assessments, targeted fraud reviews, and comprehensive audit activities to identify vulnerabilities and implement corrective actions," the firm said.

Meanwhile, investigations into policy and procedure breaches involving unauthorised access declined from 92 in 2024 to 57 this year, according to Safaricom's latest data.