NEWCASTLE KZN: Here’s how you can protect yourself from fraudsters and scammers

Avoid doing Internet banking in public places, such as Internet cafés, or on any computer that can be accessed by strangers.

June 24, 2021

Newcastle Advertiser 1 minute read

Avoid doing Internet banking in public places, such as Internet cafés, or on any computer that can be accessed by strangers.

Scams can cost people a lot of money and cause them a lot of suffering.

This is according to Lizzy Arumugam of the Newcastle SAPS Corporate Communications office, who explained that phishing and fraud scams are ‘methods of deceptively obtaining personal information, such as passwords, identity number and credit card details.

“They obtain this information by making phone calls, sending emails, or text messages that appear to be from reputable sources such as banks or legitimate businesses,” explained Arumugam.

She added that typically, these emails or cellphone messages encourage recipients to click on a link in the email/message, which then redirects them to a spoofed website.

“This spoof site is designed to trick users into thinking it is legitimate and it is used to obtain, verify or update contact details and other sensitive information,” she said.

These emails and messages also include a phone number and contact person who you should call if you want to win large sums of money.

The simple tips provided below will assist you in protecting yourself and your family from scammers:

Never respond to emails or cell phone messages purporting to be from your bank and requesting personal information
Keep in mind that no bank will ever ask you to confirm or update your account information via email
Never give out your online ID, password, or PIN to anyone, and never write it down or share it with anyone
Do not save your Internet banking password on your computer desktop
After entering your Internet banking password, do not leave your computer unattended
At the end of a session, always log out or sign out
Avoid doing Internet banking in public places, such as Internet cafés, or on any computer that can be accessed by strangers
Change your PIN and passwords on a regular basis
Set appropriate transaction limits on your accounts
Only give your credit card information to reputable companies
If something appears to be too good to be true, it usually is.