Fraudsters are becoming sneakier and more daring in the ploys they use to defraud people online and over the phone. Here we identify some of the latest scams criminals are using and show you how to identify and avoid them.
A Fresh Scam Alert!
One of the latest scams entails someone calling your mobile phone, claiming to be from South Africa’s telecoms regulator ICASA, asking you about a phone number that’s supposedly been RICA’ed against your name. They’ll tell you that the number has been reported for harassment calls and that there’s a police case opened against you in Pretoria. You are warned that all your numbers will be cut off in the next two hours unless…
You get the picture.
Other Scams To Look Out For
Other scams include fake calls, supposedly from your bank – with the scariest part being that they’ll often already have your banking details and your ID number! “Impersonation fraud is rife when it comes to banking scams,” warns Roy Retief, Head of Operations at the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS). “In line with the gravitation towards online banking, many scammers will phone their potential victim, posing as a bank representative, and tell them they need to perform an important action on their online banking profile. Scammers are often tech-savvy and can remotely access a victim's compromised mobile device, triggering a technical issue to create a sense of urgency or panic; the victim then feels they need to follow the prompts from the scammer to secure their device. Armed with this, scammers can cause significant damage.”
How To Identify These Scams
Fortunately, some tell-tale signs give the scammers’ game away. The big red flags in the ICASA example are the false sense of urgency and threat of account closure. In the banking example, it’s the request for access to your online banking profile.
Other indicators include requests for payments or for bank account details. Never, ever, provide these over the phone! Fraudulent emails or text messages often include non-official web addresses, errors in spelling and grammar, and private email addresses in messages from people pretending to represent official organisations.
Requests for upfront payment – especially for loans or prizes – are a big one. After all, that’s what scammers are ultimately looking for: your hard-earned money.
One of the best ways to protect yourself is by securing your mobile phone (enabling the lock screen) and, as far as possible, not saving any sensitive personal information or bank account details on your device. Be extra vigilant when it comes to answering emails, SMSes and WhatsApp messages from unknown senders, and treat every telesales cold call with a healthy degree of scepticism. ICASA’s not going to cancel your account, and your bank doesn’t need to access your account via your smartphone. Remember to also objectively check the facts, use your judgement and trust your instincts. If an offer seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
If you suspect you may have been a victim of a crime, report it to cybercrime.org.za and at your nearest South African police station. You can also learn more about protecting yourself online with our comprehensive digital fraud overview.
