How To Protect a Relative's Mobile Money Account

Secure the account itself

Strong account security makes unauthorised access significantly harder even when a fraudster already has some of your relative's personal details, such as a date of birth or a partial account number picked up elsewhere. Help them set a PIN or password on the mobile money app that is different from their phone unlock code and not an obvious sequence like a birth year, and enable biometric login such as fingerprint or face recognition where the app supports it. Turn on transaction notifications so every transfer, withdrawal, or balance check triggers an alert, which makes it far more likely any unauthorised activity is spotted within minutes rather than days. Regularly reviewing the transaction history together, even briefly, keeps this habit active rather than something set up once and forgotten.

• Use a unique PIN or password — not a birth date or easily guessable number
• Enable biometric login (fingerprint or face) if the app supports it
• Set up two-factor authentication using an authentication app rather than SMS where possible
• Enable transaction notifications so any payment generates an immediate alert

Protect the SIM card

SIM-swap fraud happens when a fraudster gathers enough personal details to convince your relative's mobile network to transfer their phone number onto a new SIM card the fraudster controls, which then lets them intercept the SMS codes used to approve mobile money transfers. Protect against this by setting up a PIN or passcode directly with the mobile network account, not just the phone itself, so a SIM swap request needs more than a name and date of birth to succeed. If your relative's phone suddenly loses signal entirely with no explanation, that is a warning sign worth acting on immediately by contacting the network provider, since it can mean a swap has already happened and mobile money accounts tied to that number may be at risk within minutes.

• Contact the mobile network and ask to add a SIM-swap PIN or account security note
• Be alert to sudden loss of mobile signal — this can indicate a SIM has been swapped
• Do not share mobile network account passwords with anyone
• Use an authentication app rather than SMS for all financial two-factor authentication

Recognise and resist social engineering

A large share of mobile money fraud does not involve breaking into anything at all — it succeeds because the account holder is talked into authorising the transfer themselves, often by someone claiming to be from the network provider, the bank, or even a relative in an emergency. Agree a firm rule with your relative that no genuine provider will ever ask them to read out a one-time code over the phone, since that code is only ever needed by the person completing the transaction themselves. If a caller creates urgency — a blocked account, a family member in trouble, a limited-time refund — treat that urgency itself as the warning sign, hang up, and call back using a number found independently rather than one the caller provided.

• No legitimate bank or payment company will ask for a one-time code that was sent to your phone
• Never authorise a payment or transfer under pressure from an unexpected caller
• If the app shows a payment your relative did not initiate, call the provider immediately
• Agree a family rule: any large or unexpected transfer is discussed first

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Frequently asked questions

Sources

• FCC — Cell Phone Fraud (SIM Swap & Port-Out)
• FTC — Phone Scams
• Scamwatch — Account or Identity Takeover Scams
• CISA — Recognize and Report Phishing