THE Uitenhage SAPS Commercial Crime Task Team in Kariega wishes to warn and inform the community about the latest financial institution scam that is in circulation.
A potential victim will receive a SMS from a fraudulent financial institution, which the victim will assume is from his/her bank, notifying the victim that money for cryptocurrency was deposited into the account. The victim will also receive a telephone number that he/she must contact, allegedly from the Fraud Unit to report it.
If the victim dials the number, he/she could be hacked by the scammers, which might enable them to access your banking app and defraud you of thousands of rands. SAPS advises not to respond to the SMS, but rather visit your nearest financial institution.
Phishing and Fraud Scams are methods of fraudulently obtaining personal information such as passwords, identity numbers and credit card details by calling, sending emails or cellphone messages that look like they come from trusted sources, such as banks or legitimate companies. Typically, these emails or cell phone messages request that users click on a link in the email, which will direct users to a spoofed website – a site designed to fool users into thinking that it is legitimate – to obtain, verify or update contact details or other sensitive financial information. These emails and messages also contain a telephone number and contact person whom you should call, as you are promised you could win large sums of money.
