The Ministry of Finance has warned over a rising wave of fraudulent activities targeting retirees receiving pensions through the Treasury.
According to the Ministry, scammers have been sending text messages falsely claiming that the Treasury attempted to contact the recipient but was unable to reach them, directing the retirees to visit the Treasury office or call a number for further details.
The Ministry clarified in a statement, “The Treasury does not use mobile text messages to request verification details or any other personal information from retirees.”
The Ministry emphasized that all pension-related services provided by the Treasury are entirely free of charge.
The Ministry urged retirees and the general public to disregard such messages and report any suspicious communication to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) through the toll-free number 15040 or to the nearest police station.
“Any person receiving such messages is advised to ignore them and report the matter immediately,” the statement read.
For retirees with legitimate concerns, the Ministry encouraged them to visit the nearest sub-Treasury office in their region, the Ministry of Finance Zanzibar office, or contact the Treasury’s official customer service line at 0262160000.
The Ministry further called on the public to share this information widely to protect retirees from falling victim to such scams.
“We urge all citizens to ensure this information reaches everyone, especially retirees, to prevent exploitation by fraudsters,” the Ministry stated.
The announcement, signed by the Government Communication Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Dodoma, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring the security and welfare of retirees.