The numerous advances made in technology have made life easy and helped save lives, especially in the medical field.

However, as technology takes shape in Rwanda, it has left the country vulnerable to consequences. As a result, highly innovative criminals who use technology to build a network targeting countless victims, often anonymously and from anywhere in the world, making them difficult to detect and pursue.

According to records from Rwanda National Police (RNP), the use of technology has helped people forge currency and e-tickets, among other felonies.

In December last year, Police burst up a racket that was counterfeiting and selling receipt books of a local travel agency, Kigali Bus Services (KBS) which is spearheading the use of e-ticketing.

The illicit activities that were taking place at Papeterie Duplicaterie saw seven suspects arrested, including employees of KBS.

One of the earliest cases of cybercrime in Rwanda was in 2014, when a Nigerian citizen, Seheed Olalejan Adebayo together with John Ruzige Gasana registered a company named Miriensol Holdings Limited that was supposed to offer travel and tour services.

However, it turned out to be a scam when Police, after being alerted by the company’s bank, realised they were conning people.

Police reports also indicate that ,in less than a week, the tour and travel company had received $175,800 (approx. Rwf 130 million) from several Points of Sale payments, all coming from several individuals across Europe, by manipulating cars of individuals in Europe.

Another report indicates that, in 2014, out of the 35 cybercrimes reported at RNP, 91.4 per cent were related to mobile money transactions. It was within the same year that an employee of Tigo Rwanda fleeced Rwf495 million from the company, using these platforms.

The crime was orchestrated with the help of a Tigo employee who was in-charge of electronic money transfer working together with two others who were Super Agents for the Tigo Cash platform.

However, according to Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police Celestin Twahirwa, most of these crimes have been on the increase because the world and Rwanda, in particular, is moving towards a technology-based economy.

"Because of how technology has changed the way the world operates now, some crimes have changed form. For example, the case of Kigali Bus Service where we recovered forged tickets because of e-ticketing which is technology-based,” he said.

He added that technology was the lead cause in the case of Tigo Rwanda where individuals navigated the electronic transfer and stole money although they were arrested. He, however, noted that cyber-related-crimes are few in number and not worrying.

"We usually handle about one or two cases in a quarter and maybe five cases in a year. Although these crimes are changing shape, there’s nothing to be worried about since there are measures in place to combat them.

There are strategic and operational measures in place but on the general security front, we are safe.”

In addition to strategic and operational measures, the government, through the Ministry for Youth and ICT (MYICT), has put various measures in place that will help curb cybercrime.

According to Didier Nkurikiyimfura, the head of ICT at MYICT, the internet is used by both people with good and bad intentions and it’s a worldwide problem.

"In Rwanda, we started by developing a cyber-security policy that combines various measures. Some of these measures include capacity building where we want people to be skilled enough to detect these crimes, and public awareness which will help people tell if what they are dealing with is a hoax because majority of the people rarely know when they are being conned,” he said.

He further added that a state-of-the-art cybercrime investigation centre is being built, and is already in the advanced stages.

This centre will help detect cybercrimes and assist in investigations.

"As the centre comes into place, we already have a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) that monitors cybercrimes on a 24 hour basis. Also, we have the National Cyber Security Agency which directly handles all programmes related to cybercrime,” he added.

Nkurikiyimfura also said that the government signed an agreement with Northern Corridor countries to collaborate in the fight against cybercrimes. ‘‘All these measures are part of government efforts to curb cybercrime.’’

Other common cases include hackers who monitor business negotiations happening online and towards the time of transferring the money, the hacker changes the bank account and diverts the details to another account.

There are also cases of forged bank cheques and identity theft where culprits create accounts in the names of others to swindle or solicit money from the public.

Article 309 of the Penal Code stipulates that a person who fraudulently accesses automated data or processing systems, or intentionally uses private computerised data in an incorrect manner is liable to a prison term of between three and five years and a fine of up to Rwf5 million, or both.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw