Mobile network operator Vodacom has partnered with cybersecurity for mobile payments company, Evina to strengthen efforts to combat an increase in mobile fraud.

Evina is a Paris-based anti-fraud and cybersecurity specialist and member of the GSMA’s Fraud and Security Group (FASG).

The partners say the South African mobile industry has attracted a large number of fraudsters leading to a substantial increase in user complaint rates. These frequent fraudulent attacks are due to the fact that a large number of the African population uses a cellular phone, especially as a mobile payment method.

A statement announcing the alliance reads: “Fraudsters are never far from where mobile transactions are. In South Africa alone, the country fraud rate recorded by Evina’s fraud sensors was 23.53% with clickjacking being the most fraudulent technique used to defraud mobile users in the first quarter of 2021. This region is a playground for new and extremely sophisticated fraud techniques that are difficult to spot unless using advanced technology.”

In this context, Vodacom has partnered with Evina to secure mobile transactions via Evina’s set of anti-fraud solutions that include DCBprotect and Eyewitness. DCBprotect detects bots that attempt to make fraudulent transactions whereas Eyewitness records fraudulent behaviour on payment pages to give proof to Vodacom’s partners of any bot-related activity.

Evina offers the most advanced cybersecurity technology for mobile payments and currently blocks over 16 million transactions in more than 70 countries worldwide.

David Lotfi, CEO and Founder of Evina said: "We strive to work with mobile players that share our vision of fraud being a serious issue that needs to be dealt with - and soon. By integrating our anti-fraud solution into its operations, Vodacom with its large African network of mobile users has confirmed that it too shares our values and wishes to create a fraud-free mobile payment ecosystem. This makes deploying the best technology worldwide, for the protection of South African mobile users, effortless.”

Mariam Cassim, Chief Officer of Vodacom Financial and Digital Services, added: “The protection of our customers against all forms of fraudulent activity is our top priority. We are constantly striving to eradicate any potential mobile fraud on our network by updating and enhancing our controls to give customers peace of mind whilst enjoying seamless connectivity through their mobile phones. Introducing DCBprotect as solution is testament to our efforts to stay ahead of fraudsters and create a fraud free digital environment. We believe that early detection and blocking of any form of criminality on our network is in the interest of our customers and ultimately the Vodacom brand.”

In April Evina said cyber security used to be a secondary priority for many companies and mostly handled by CTOs. Now, it has become one of the main priorities, directly managed by CEOs.

It added that fraud is considered as one of the main threats to mobile payments, especially for MNOs, and that since mobile payments are the future, mobile fraud had become an "existential issue" for mobile players. If players don't face this issue the right way they risk becoming extinct.

According to Evina, it protects up to 90% of mobile direct carrier billing (DCB) transactions in Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal.

It also secures traffic in African countries such as Mali, Ghana, Congo, Kenya, Botswana, Angola and all countries in the Middle East including Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.