Don’t fall for scams!
Scammers are using people’s real fears about the impact that the coronavirus is having on their finances, to steal their money.
Piet Swanepoel, African Banks chief risk officer said: “Cyber criminals update their fraudulent online tactics to cash-in on the pandemic. The scams can take various forms, each designed to target unsuspecting online users.”
SWANEPOEL:
5 MOST COMMON SCAM TACTICS
Fake calls and texts: Scammers create fake emails or texts, which mimic the look and feel of legitimate institutions, to trick one into sharing valuable personal information like bank account details, ID numbers, passwords etc.
Online scams: Email scams that trick one into opening malicious attachments or clicking on links that allow scammers to steal your passwords, ID numbers, and bank details.
Donation scams: There have been reports of thieves taking money from consumers by claiming they are collecting money for charities or NGOs.
Fraudulent online loan sharks: Illegal money lenders are preying on people’s financial hardships, charging exorbitant interest rates for loans.
Fake vouchers and refunds: Scammers are offering fake vouchers for groceries or refunds on bank transactions, just to get unsuspecting South Africans to share their personal information.
Swanepoel added that it is important to have a strong and unique password for each critical site. “We recommend you use multi-factor authentication wherever possible. This means combining your username and password with something that you own, such as a One Time Password app on your phone.”
Since many people may be wanting to get away during the April holidays, it is worth noting that the final scam is advertising fake holiday accommodation and air tickets on public reseller sites such as Facebook and Gumtree. Many even have their very own fake website. The advert/ website looks legitimate, and the price appears to be cheap, but as soon as the victim makes a purchase, thinking they are buying from a genuine person/ company, the victim will find out they have been scammed and never receive the goods and can no longer contact the seller.
The golden rule is - do not trust websites you do not know and if an offer looks too good to be true, it is probably fake.