Sierra Leone’s Parliament is set to question Orange Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, the National Telecommunications Commission (NaTCA) and the Cyber Crime Unit over growing concerns about online scams and mobile money fraud.
The move follows a complaint by the Opposition Whip, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, popularly known as AKK, who raised concerns in Parliament over what he described as an increasing trend of scams and hacking incidents linked to Orange Sierra Leone numbers.
Responding to the concerns, Speaker of Parliament Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas ordered that the Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, NaTCA, the Cyber Crime Unit and Orange Sierra Leone appear before Parliament to explain the situation.
The Speaker questioned why fraudsters involved in the reported scams appeared to be using Orange numbers and said Parliament would seek answers from the relevant authorities and the telecommunications company.
According to the Speaker, the hearing is expected to take place during Parliament’s next sitting, which is likely to commence on Tuesday, 28 July 2026.
The parliamentary intervention comes amid growing public concern over online fraud and impersonation scams.
Information Minister Chernor Bah recently warned that fraudsters were increasingly using WhatsApp to target unsuspecting victims. In a Facebook post, he said scammers had repeatedly attempted to contact him and solicit money.
“The scammers on WhatsApp are multiplying. But their tricks are familiar,” Mr Bah wrote, adding that one of the fraudsters had sent him an Orange Money number during an exchange.
He urged the public not to share verification codes, personal information or send money without first confirming the identity of the person making the request.
The issue has also sparked political debate. Social commentator and politician Sylvia Olayinka Blyden criticised the government’s handling of digital financial security, arguing that recent incidents exposed weaknesses in the country’s financial identity systems.
Orange Sierra Leone has separately issued a public warning to customers, cautioning them against fraudulent messages and suspicious links designed to steal personal information, compromise messaging accounts and trick victims into sending money.
The company said such messages do not originate from Orange or Orange Money and advised customers to rely only on information shared through its official communication channels.
Orange also urged users not to share one-time passwords or verification codes, click on suspicious links, download unknown attachments or disclose sensitive personal information to unverified individuals.
It remains unclear whether those behind the reported scams have any direct connection to Orange Sierra Leone or whether they are merely using Orange numbers and mobile money accounts as tools to facilitate fraudulent activities.
