THE Durban North police station said it continues to record cases of online fraud, especially vishing scams.

Vishing refers to fraudsters using phone calls that trick victims into providing personal information, like passwords or bank details.

Spokesperson for the police station, Sergeant Nonhlanhla Shozi, highlighted two cases where two residents were defrauded out of R9 966 collectively, with both cases involving fraudsters pretending to be members of the victims’ banks.

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“We have recorded cases nearly every week with various types of online fraud cases. However, this type of scam remains the most common. The suspects pose as bank officials and contact you asking you to provide confidential information. In some cases, they allege there’s an issue with your account regarding fraudulent activity and they need your banking details and Pin to rectify the issue.

“In one of the incidents, the suspects claimed to be from the bank’s fraud department who informed the resident there was ‘suspicious transactions’ being done on her account. She was then transferred to another man who claimed to be a technician. He then asked to confirm her banking details which she sadly did and was defrauded out of R2 500,” she said.

Shozi reminded residents that banks don’t ask for your account details, password, Pin or the OTP number.

“That should be the biggest red flag. If you receive an OTP on your phone and you are asked to provide it, do not tell anyone. Our advice is to contact your bank to verify if your account is secure or to let them know that someone tried to defraud you,” she said.

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