SIM Audit Exposes Identity Cloning and Verification Failures
Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed alarming irregularities in Ghana’s SIM registration system, following a technical review conducted in collaboration with key state agencies.
According to the Minister, a technical team was tasked to assess the work of the National Communications Authority and cross-check data with the National Identification Authority database. The findings, he said, exposed deep flaws in the verification process. “We took a sample of about 2.3 million SIM registrations and cross-referenced them against the NIA database. On fingerprint verification, zero, not even one, went through,” he revealed.
He explained that although facial recognition showed some level of matching, the results were still problematic. “Out of the 2.3 million, about 1.8 million seemed to match facially, but even that raised further concerns when we drilled down,” he said.
Mr. George noted that the system relied heavily on Ghana Card numbers without adequately verifying the associated identity. “You had multiple SIMs registered with the same Ghana Card number, but when we checked the source documents, the details did not match,” he stated.
He described instances where completely different identities were linked to a single Ghana Card number. “We saw two Ghana cards with the same number, but the names were different, the faces were different, and even the dates of birth were different,” he explained.
The Minister stressed that such discrepancies point to possible identity cloning and serious lapses in data validation. “There is no way two different individuals should have the same Ghana Card number. One is likely legitimate and the other is a clone,” he added.
He further indicated that the findings were presented during stakeholder engagements, including sessions with the media, to highlight the scale of the issue.
Mr. George emphasized the need for urgent reforms to restore credibility to the SIM registration process, noting that stronger verification systems and stricter controls would be critical in safeguarding national digital infrastructure.
