By Eumu Emmanuel
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Dokolo, Barbara Akech, has urged the public to safeguard their mobile money PINs following a case where an elderly PDM beneficiary, Odongo John, lost UGX 1 million to theft after sharing his PIN.
According to Akech, the theft occurred in Kangai sub-county after Odongo received his PDM funds through mobile money. The suspect, Okello Ricky, a boda boda rider, exploited Odongo’s trust to steal his funds. Okello used the MTN MoMo Pay service to transfer UGX 1 million to a fuel station attendant’s mobile money account, claiming he needed UGX 20,000 worth of fuel. The attendant deducted the fuel cost and handed the remaining balance of UGX 980,000 to Okello.
The matter was reported to Kwera Police Station, and after an investigation, Okello was arrested and identified in a police lineup. He confessed to the crime, and the stolen funds were recovered after his family sold a cow he had purchased using the stolen money. The money was handed back to Odongo on January 20, 2025.
Akech expressed concern over the misuse of PDM funds due to poor financial management and lack of caution. She emphasized the importance of protecting mobile money PINs to avoid fraud, stressing that beneficiaries must never share their PINs with anyone, even if they trust them. Akech also advised that financial transactions should only be made personally or through authorized agents, without disclosing sensitive details.