DAR ES SALAAM, March 16 -- NOT long ago I opened my mobile phone to check my balance and something felt off. A small amount of money was missing.

Nothing dramatic. At least not in the grand scheme of things so the balance was not exactly in the millions. But it was enough to make me pause. I called customer service to ask what had happened.

Eventually the issue was sorted out. Still, the experience stayed with me. If a small amount disappearing from a students wallet can raise questions, imagine waking up one morning and discovering that millions have vanished from your mobile account.

No warning, no explanation. Just a list of transactions you never made. It may sound extreme, but situations like this are not impossible in todays digi...