The Role of User-Agent Interactions on Mobile Money Practices in Kenya and Tanzania
Karen Sowon, Edith Luhanga, Lorrie Cranor, Giulia Fanti, Conrad Tucker, Assane Gueye
IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy 2024 · Day 1 · Continental Ballroom 4
This talk, presented by Karen Sowon and a team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, delves into the often-overlooked security and privacy implications of **user-agent interactions** within the mobile money (Momo) ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania. While the adoption of mobile money and its impact on financial inclusion have been extensively studied, the specific dynamics and vulnerabilities arising from how users engage with mobile money agents have received considerably less attention. The research highlights a critical gap in understanding how everyday practices, driven by both convenience and perceived security, inadvertently introduce new risks.
AI review
This research meticulously uncovers how user and agent workarounds in mobile money ecosystems, driven by convenience and perceived risk, inadvertently shatter fundamental security protocols like KYC. It exposes critical systemic vulnerabilities in a vital financial infrastructure, demonstrating that human factors are often the weakest link, demanding urgent re-evaluation of current defensive strategies.