5 tips from SA Fraud Protection Service to protect yourself from scammers
Fraud is on the rise around the world, but there are ways to protect yourself.
Picture: Pixabay
Pippa Hudson speaks with Roy Retief, head of operations with the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS).
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
Fraudsters are constantly coming up with new and innovative ways to scam people out of their hard-earned money.
According to SAFPS identity theft and fraud has been on the rise around the world.
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Retief says many of the syndicates running these scams are linked to international organised crime syndicates.
These attacks happen in a range of ways, from a criminal picking up a lost ID document, to complicated phishing and vishing scams.
“Some of these criminals get so clever that they set up their number to look like it could be your bank calling you.”
- Roy Retief, head of operations with the SAFPS
He adds that the majority of South Africans have likely been victims of data breaches in the past few years, which fraudsters can use to victimise them.
“We need to exercise a lot of care when people phone us, even if they are quoting your personal information to you.”
- Roy Retief, head of operations with the SAFPS
If you want to protect yourself from fraud there are a few things you can do:
Contact your bank immediately if your phone is stolen
Many store personal details on their phones, which means scammers can have a field day if they get hold of it.
If your phone is stolen the first thing you must do is call your bank to block or delink your account.
After this, you should contact your service provider to block the SIM card.
Never share a PIN or OTP over the phone
Your bank will never ask you to share an OTP, so if someone does you can pretty much guarantee it is a scammer.
If you do accidentally share this information, it is highly unlikely that you will get your money back.
Do not click suspicious links on emails or SMSs
If you receive an email asking you to follow a link, be sure to check the sender's address to determine if it comes from a suspicious source.
Also, look out for any spelling or grammar errors in the message which could reveal that it is a phishing attempt.
Apply for Protective Registration
To add an extra layer of protection to your details, you can take out protective registration with SAFPS.
This will flag any credit providers if someone tries to apply for credit in your name, and you will need to provide your SAPFS letter before going ahead.
This is especially important if you have previously lost your ID or been impersonated.
Use the Yima website to look out for scams
If you visit the yima website, you can find and identify common scams and get immediate assistance.
You can scan website links to look out for scams and use the hotline to get immediate help if you need it.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.