The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, has issued a fresh digital-safety alert urging Ugandans to be cautious about what they share online during the festive season — a period often marked by heightened cases of fraud, phishing, impersonation, and identity theft.
In a new awareness campaign released this week, UCC is cautioning social media users against the habit of publicly posting personal details such as travel plans, receipts, gifts, locations, and financial transactions. The message, titled “Protect What You Post”, warns that oversharing can make individuals easy targets for scammers who exploit freely available personal data.
“Think before you post. Oversharing personal info can make you a target for fraud,” the campaign poster reads, accompanied by an image of a young woman taking a selfie — a visual nudge toward everyday online behaviour that many may not consider risky.
The advisory comes at a time when Ugandans traditionally flood social media with holiday excitement — from Christmas shopping and end-of-year trips to party outfits and gift hauls. According to UCC, this season also mirrors a spike in cyber-enabled fraud, with criminals monitoring social platforms for vulnerable users, real-time location trails, and financial clues.
Mr. Fred Otunnu, the Director for Corporate Affairs at UCC noted that scammers increasingly rely on information people freely reveal online.
“Cybercriminals no longer need sophisticated hacking tools. Many Ugandans unknowingly hand them everything — where they are, what they bought, how much they spent, and when their homes are unattended,” the official said.
The regulator is urging the public to limit what they share, review privacy settings, and avoid flaunting sensitive information such as tickets, bank receipts, IDs, or personal documents. The campaign also reinforces broader digital-safety themes, including consumer protection and responsible online behaviour.
The festive campaign is part of UCC’s ongoing consumer-awareness drive under the hashtags #DigitalSafety, #ConsumerProtection, #YourPriority, and #ConsumerAwareness, reminding citizens that online safety is as important as physical security during the holidays.
As the year-end celebrations approach, the Commission’s message is clear: not everyone on your timeline is Santa — some are scammers. Ugandans are therefore encouraged to enjoy the season responsibly, stay vigilant, and “protect what they post.”
