Man scammed out of money by someone pretending to be calling from the bank
Keep every cent safe; don't give your information to unknown people via email, SMS or phone calls.
A case of fraud has been opened at Witbank Police Station after a man has been scammed out of his money.
The man said he received a call from a man pretending that he was calling from the bank and told the victim that certain people has used his money from his account to purchase an expensive contract phone.
The person calling from the ‘bank’ had the man’s address, cell phone number and other personal details, giving the impression that indeed he was calling from the bank.
It was after some that the man realised that he has been scammed.
When checking his bank balance, he found that money has been taken from his account.
The matter was reported to the bank, and they promised that they will do their own investigation through the fraud team.
“I’ve learnt the hard why and would advise people to drop the call and rather go to their nearest branch to confirm details. Don’t give any information even if they have some of your details,” said the victim.
New types of scams continue to emerge in which fraudsters lure you into providing confidential information, often via email, SMS, phone call or remote access.
Anyone can be a target.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to stay informed about scams and think twice before sharing your personal details online or over the phone.
It could be a scam if: What you are offered or promised sounds too good to be true; The offer takes you by surprise, or the prize relates to a competition you never entered; You’re given limited time to confirm your details or win the prize, catching you off guard; You receive the information via a free email address (like Hotmail, Aim, Yahoo or Gmail); You are promised large sums of money for very little or no effort on your part; You’re asked to provide money upfront, for whatever reason, to receive the money or prize and one is asked to confirm personal or account details via a hyperlink, icon or attachment in an email or over the phone.
There are many other types of scams that are used.
Vishing is when the fraudsters ask for your personal and bank account details over the phone.
It’s becoming more common with the increase in mobile banking. Know that the bank will never ask for your account details, password, PIN, or one-time PIN (OTP) over the phone.
You receive a phone call from someone who says they’re from your bank or pretend to be from UCount and ask for your card details including your OTP to transfer “rewards” to your credit card; You’re asked to update or verify your details; You oblige, providing everything required to access your bank account; In some cases, you receive an unverified SMS saying that the bank will soon be in touch to update or confirm your details, and then you receive the call.
How to identify it: There’s a sense of urgency in the phone call, giving you no time to think clearly; You are told they’re from the fraud department, that funds have been fraudulently taken from your account, and you need to confirm your details, so the funds can be returned to your account; You’re asked to update or confirm your bank account number, PIN or password over the phone; You’re asked to confirm an OTP for defrauded funds to be returned to your account; You’re asked to call them back to confirm that you’re speaking to someone who’s genuinely from the bank (the call will be intercepted from the bank’s call centre to the fraudster).
Read More:
https://www.citizen.co.za/witbank-news/193505/post-office-flooded-with-enquiries-about-scams/
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