State Minister for Internal Affairs Hajji Jumah Uwitonze giving a speech during the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS 2026) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

By Nasser Kayanja

Uganda has called for stronger international and regional cooperation to combat the growing threat of cyber-enabled fraud, warning that criminals are increasingly using digital platforms to steal money and traffic young people into online scam networks.

The call was made by State Minister for Internal Affairs Hajji Jumah Uwitonze while attending the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS 2026) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Uwitonze said Ugandans were increasingly losing money through scams conducted on social media platforms, mobile money services and electronic banking channels.

He said the growing sophistication of cybercrime required countries to strengthen cooperation and share information more quickly to prevent criminals from exploiting gaps between national jurisdictions.

The minister also raised concern over the trafficking of Ugandan youth, including information technology graduates, through fake overseas employment opportunities.

According to Uwitonze, some of the victims are taken to scam compounds outside the country, where they are allegedly forced to participate in online criminal activities.

He called for faster cross-border exchange of intelligence, stronger joint investigations and improved mechanisms for tracing and recovering proceeds linked to cybercrime.

Uwitonze also urged countries to strengthen the capacity of investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers to handle increasingly complex cybercrime cases.

He further called for a victim-centred approach to combating online scams, particularly in cases involving people who are trafficked and forced to participate in criminal activities.

The minister said international cooperation would be critical in dismantling networks involved in online fraud while protecting victims and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable.