TOGOLESE CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION

(ATC)Fifth Annual African Consumer Protection

Dialogue Conference(Zambie 10-12 september 2013)

“Moving Cross Border Enforcement Collaboration Forward”

« Money transfer and cyber crime in Togo »

By Jean Agouta ALADJOU

Secretary General (00228) 90 04 37 13 / (00228) 90 04 35 10

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1.5 million Togolese living abroad, of which 2/3 in Africa. Their contribution to the economy of their country with significant transfers estimated at 154 billion CFA francs in 2010, the latest figure available.

These are some of the data contained in a study by the African Development Bank (ADB).

Money transfer in Togo (1)

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• While most Togolese living on the African continent, nearly 60% of the transfers are generated from Europe and North America. Logical because wage levels are much higher than in Africa.

• According to the BCEAO, remittances from the Diaspora to Togo rose sharply from 2000 to 2010, an average annual rate of 30% against 6% for GDP, 7% foreign direct investment (FDI) and 9 % of tax revenues. The transferred funds are spent in 10 years from 1% to 10% of GDP.

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Money Transfer in Togo (2)

In Togo Togo Cellulaire and Moov ( local mobile companies) are also looking for new products as conventional communications relate less.

• In Togo two operators ¸(W@ri) and (Cash Chrono) make money transfer via mobile phone

This kind of money transfer will be soon established by the local mobile telecommunications companies

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Money transfer via mobile phone (1)

Violations we witness several types namely, --online fraud

- money laundering -child pornography -racial hatred -terrorism -counterfeiting,

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Cybercrime

According to figures published by Symantec, a computer security company, 556 million users were victims of cybercrime on the Internet in 2011.

This has led to a loss of 114 billion dollars. The company for this study, entitled, "Report Nortion cybercrime", interviewed 13,000 users, including 500 French residing in 24 countries.

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Cybercrime

They cater to their future victims an email from pseudo Togolese government agencies or UN wishing to acquire sugar, wood, uniforms or tires.

To qualify for the award of the contract, you must first pay a deposit and legal fees that sometimes amount to nearly $ 40,000. Once the money is transferred, cybercriminals take to their heels

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Cybercrime

Togo is used by criminal networks to this new form of crime. It is mostly Nigerians installed in Lome.

The police remain very attentive and monitors Internet cafes and GSM, the main means used by scammers lines.

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Cybercrime

According to the Togolese authorities, the police, judges are better equipped to investigate acts of cybercrime, to prosecute, to collect electronic evidence with ease of cybercrime and decide upon actions

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Conclusion

International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and regulatory authority areas of Posts and Telecommunications Togo (ART & P) had signed a memorandum of agreement to fight against cybercrime increasingly growing in Togo with the same scams affecting departments, banking institutions and mobile operators in the country.

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Conclusion