LISTEN | Fraud campaign urges South Africans to 'Just Say Goodbye'
This International Fraud Awareness Week, South Africans are urged to 'Just Say Goodbye'...
International Fraud Awareness Week was observed in November, and Carol Ofori will be chatting with Manie van Schalkwyk, the CEO of the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS).
This year, the campaign initiative by SAFPS aimed to empower South Africans with the directive to 'Just Say Goodbye'.
Van Schalkwyk says that technology has become a significant battleground in the fight against fraud, with fraudsters clutching at several straws to turn consumers into victims.
The SAFPS launched the ‘Just Say Goodbye’ awareness campaign aimed at helping South Africans recognise and respond to increasingly sophisticated phone-based scams. These scams, known as vishing or phishing, involve fraudsters calling victims and impersonating representatives from banks, financial institutions, cellular companies, insurers, law enforcement agencies, or government agencies to manipulate victims into revealing sensitive information or transferring funds.
Watch the video below of a young woman sharing the conversation she had with an alleged scammer trying to retrieve a One-Time Password (OTP) from her.
Video courtesy of TikTok.
@_b_l_u_e_h_o_p_e_ He said there’s a lady that came to his branch and requested a sim swap for my number. Ey guys please don’t fall for this.😭 #fyp #scamalert🚨🚨🚨 #mtnscamcall #awareness ♬ original sound - phumladaniels.🩵
SAFPS confirmed that scammers often employ psychological tactics and impersonation, creating a sense of urgency and fear to convince victims that their accounts or devices have been compromised.
They are great at instilling fear in consumers and making them believe they are in trouble or that an exciting opportunity is available to them.
Victims are then pressured to provide one-time pins, banking credentials, grant access to their device, or even instructed to transfer money.
Typical scenarios include, but are not limited to:- Receiving a call from your “bank’s fraud department” saying there is a problem with your account.
- Receiving a call from your “cellular company’s fraud department” claiming that a SIM swap has been requested on your number and they want to assist you to ‘stop it’.
- Phone call from “law enforcement” about being linked to criminal activity (see below example).
- Phone call from “IT support” about a technical issue
It’s important to note that scammers often have some personal information on hand, which they use to build trust and legitimacy.
Listen to the full interview between Carol Ofori and Manie van Schalkwyk below.
In April, the SAFPS drew attention to
an ongoing scam involving the impersonation of members of the South African
Police Service (SAPS). Scammers used social engineering tactics, fake documents,
and calls to intimidate victims into sharing personal and financial
information.
Posing as SAPS officials, scammers claimed there was a warrant for their arrest or that the victim was linked to criminal activity and must urgently prove their innocence.
To build credibility, scammers send forged arrest warrants and transfer calls to fake "superiors," escalating fear and compliance. Victims are coerced into private WhatsApp and video calls where they are pressured to disclose sensitive data, which includes banking details. In some cases, they're tricked into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts allegedly held by the South African Reserve Bank. Others are directed to install malware-laced apps that grant scammers remote access to their devices.
The SAPS does not conduct investigations via chat apps or video calls, nor do they request money or restrict legal counsel. They would also not ask you to download suspicious apps to your device, these are red flags.
Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and will continue to do so as long as scammers use modern, technology-based methods to run their scams. The public needs to be aware of the fraud landscape, which is why we believe the ‘Just Say Goodbye’ campaign is an important initiative, especially during events such as International Fraud Awareness Week. Consumers should know they have power and that there are things available to protect them. We urge them to stop, think and just say goodbye.
Scammers also phone victims, posing as representatives from their IT support company, claiming they need to perform urgent security updates on their computer due to a supposed virus or technical issue.
They create a sense of urgency, and the goal is to steal financial information and money to gain access to the victim’s device or to install malware (malicious software designed to disrupt or gain access to computer systems).
There are a few key indicators to watch out for.
- If you receive an unsolicited call from a supposed IT support company saying there is an urgent technical issue and they need immediate remote access to ‘fix’ it, you should say goodbye.
- They may try to pressure you to act quickly and get somewhat annoyed when you don’t comply.
- If you do engage with them, they could ask for payment or a fee outside of the usual arrangement you have with them. Simply say goodbye, end the call, and contact your service provider via their official channels.
The SAFPS urges the public to ‘Just say Goodbye’; end suspicious calls immediately, do not share information, do research and verify any claims directly with their service provider using official channels. Stop. Think. Verify. Don’t get scammed!
Visit the Yima website at www.yima.org.za to report scams, learn about various scam types, and discover how to identify and respond to them. Keep an eye on the SAFPS and Yima social media platforms for more information.
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