By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
In response to a video circulating on social media regarding Robo Call Scams, the National Communications Authority (NatCA) issued a public notice on Sunday, January 28, 2024. The notice clarified that the video was outdated, and the issue had been addressed in May 2019.
“The public is hereby informed that the video circulating on social media about ROBO CALL SCAMS from FRAUDSTERS or SCAMMERS using the National Destination Code (NDC) (021) from Sierra Leone is an old fraud video, which was effectively addressed in May 2019,” NatCA stated in the public notice.
NatCA explained that when the fraud incident initially came to light, the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) investigated and sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States expressing their concern about the “One Ring” Robo Call Phone Scam. This scam primarily targeted subscribers in the United States.
The notice further outlined that NatCA promptly notified the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to remove the National Destination Code (021) from their database and all international carriers to thwart the activities of the perpetrators.
“The National Destination Code (NDC) (021) has not been in use by any of our service providers since 2019,” emphasized NatCA.
While assuring the public that the National Destination Code is no longer in use, NatCA stated that in the event of any future scams, they would conduct thorough investigations to determine the root cause. The Authority affirmed its ongoing commitment to tracking down fraudsters to ensure customer satisfaction.
NatCA’s swift and decisive action in addressing the incident and its commitment to uncovering those behind the fraud reflects the Authority’s readiness and proactive measures in effectively combating fraud issues in the country.