Malawi  pushes tough new laws to track, expose and jail online scammers

Online fraudsters could soon find nowhere to hide after Justice Minister Charles Mhango vowed to arm authorities with tougher laws capable of tracing suspicious bank accounts, unmasking cybercriminals and dragging them before the courts.

Speaking at the opening of the National Cyber Drill and Cybersecurity Conference 2026 at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe on Tuesday, Mhango warned that cybercrime is becoming an increasingly serious threat to Malawians and said urgent action is needed to strengthen the country’s digital defences.

The conference, organised under the theme “Strengthening National Cyber Resilience Through Collaboration and Preparedness,” has brought together key players in Malawi’s cybersecurity sector, including MACRA, banks, mobile money operators, law enforcement agencies and development partners backing the country’s cyber safety agenda.

Addressing delegates at the invitation of Information and Communications Technology Minister Dr Shadreck Namalomba, Mhango revealed that his ministry is working closely with the ICT Ministry on a new generation of cyber laws designed to tackle emerging threats, including those linked to Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The minister said the proposed legislation must give investigators the tools they need to follow the money trail, identify the people behind fraudulent transactions and bring cybercriminals to justice.

“Our laws should be able to detect and identify those bank accounts, establish the end user of the fraud and get to the human being behind it and arrest them,” Mhango declared.

He also called for stronger cooperation between banks, mobile money service providers, MACRA and law enforcement agencies, arguing that cybercrime can only be defeated through a united approach.

Mhango further stressed the need to shield vulnerable groups from online exploitation, particularly women, girls and people living in rural communities who are often targeted by fraudsters.

In a move likely to be welcomed by victims of online scams, the minister indicated that the government hopes to table the proposed cybercrime Bill in Parliament during next year’s Budget Session, scheduled between February and April, provided the legislative process remains on track.

The planned reforms signal a major crackdown on digital criminals as authorities seek to stay one step ahead of increasingly sophisticated online fraud networks.