Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa says fraudsters are harvesting legislators’ contacts from Google and other online platforms to impersonate officials and solicit money from MPs.
Parliament’s leadership has directed the Clerk to Parliament to remove Members of Parliament’s personal telephone numbers from official online platforms following reports that fraudsters are using the contacts to target legislators.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa announced the directive while chairing Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting, saying MPs had reported receiving persistent calls from people allegedly attempting to defraud them.
“The Leadership of Parliament has directed the Clerk to Parliament to immediately erase all personal telephone numbers of Members of Parliament from all official platforms,” Tayebwa told legislators.
He said Parliament’s investigations indicated that fraudsters were obtaining MPs’ telephone numbers from Google and other online platforms and using them to trick and defraud legislators.
“Our investigations indicate that conmen are picking contacts of MPs from Google and using them to trick and defraud the legislators,” Tayebwa said.
The directive follows complaints from legislators about callers who allegedly pose as people in need of assistance or impersonate senior government officials to solicit money.
The problem is not new to Parliament. During the 11th Parliament, several legislators, including Tayebwa, publicly raised concerns about fraudsters targeting MPs.
In previous cases, fraudsters reportedly impersonated senior government officials, security chiefs and parliamentary leaders, using fabricated emergencies to solicit money.
Some allegedly claimed to be collecting contributions for funerals, weddings or official functions, while others posed as agents offering lucrative business deals.
Tayebwa has previously urged legislators to remain vigilant and verify suspicious calls, warning that fraudsters were becoming increasingly sophisticated.
The latest directive is intended to reduce the exposure of MPs’ personal contacts on official platforms. However, removing the numbers from those platforms may not prevent fraudsters from accessing contacts already copied or published elsewhere.
The move places renewed focus on protecting legislators’ personal information and strengthening measures to guard against phone-based fraud.