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Cape Town - Cybercrime is becoming more prominent in South Africa as more people become connected, according to Kevin Hurwitz, CEO of Wonga.com South Africa.
“As a result, it is imperative that people are aware of how to identify scams, in order to avoid being financially defrauded,” warns Hurwitz.
SA's anti-phishing service recorded a total of 1 942 new phishing attacks in the country for the first half of 2012, equating to an estimated financial loss of R71m.
In addition to this, the Symantec Intelligence Report for June 2012 identified South Africa as the second-most targeted country globally, with one in 170.9 emails identified as phishing attacks.
“It makes sense that South Africa has become a significant target for cybercriminals, as we have the largest internet connectivity on the continent,” says Hurwitz.
Much has been said recently about phishing scams in particular; however, there are many other scams that don’t involve phishing but are equally dangerous to consumers.
Hurwitz explains that various scams are used by criminals to illegally obtain personal information – such as bank account details, ID numbers, passwords and usernames.
These are often sent electronically by individuals posing as legitimate entities who are out to conduct financial fraud.
“Consumers are fooled into providing personal details, or depositing money into fraudulent accounts, based on the assumption that these communications are authentic.”
Hurwitz says that there are currently two primary channels used to conduct what is known as "advance fee scams’", namely email and SMS.
These communications are designed to look real and can easily trick consumers into financial losses.
He says anyone receiving an unsolicited email or SMS which appears to come from a legitimate source, but requests personal information, should contact that organisation directly to verify that the communication is authentic before taking any action.
"Consumers who potentially fall victim to these scams are likely to ignore warnings about phishing, because they don’t generally transact online, so don’t believe the warnings relate to them," says Hurwitz.
Another popular type of scam currently doing the rounds involves people receiving an SMS (or email) claiming that they have won money, but in order to receive the funds they need to send their banking details, or deposit money into an account.
“No official organisation would ask for personal details in this manner, or request money to be deposited in order to receive a prize, so everyone should immediately be suspicious of this type of communication,” warns Hurwitz.
“With the number of innovative scams growling on a monthly basis, it is imperative that consumers are more vigilant about verifying any communication relating to financial matters before giving out personal information or making payments.”
Tips to avoid becoming a victim
- When an email or SMS requests personal details or payment, contact the organisation in question directly to verify the authenticity of the communication;
- Never provide or verify personal details via SMS or unsecure websites (a secure website will have an image of a lock on the browser status bar, or the URL will read “https” as opposed to “http”);
- Never deposit money into a bank account, especially a private bank account, unless the communication has been verified with a legitimate organisation;
- Never click on links, download files or open attachments from unknown sources;
- Never enter personal information on a pop-up screen - a legitimate organisation will never request details lin this manner; and
- Check bank statements regularly to ensure no unauthorised transactions have taken place.
“As a result, it is imperative that people are aware of how to identify scams, in order to avoid being financially defrauded,” warns Hurwitz.
SA's anti-phishing service recorded a total of 1 942 new phishing attacks in the country for the first half of 2012, equating to an estimated financial loss of R71m.
In addition to this, the Symantec Intelligence Report for June 2012 identified South Africa as the second-most targeted country globally, with one in 170.9 emails identified as phishing attacks.
“It makes sense that South Africa has become a significant target for cybercriminals, as we have the largest internet connectivity on the continent,” says Hurwitz.
Much has been said recently about phishing scams in particular; however, there are many other scams that don’t involve phishing but are equally dangerous to consumers.
Hurwitz explains that various scams are used by criminals to illegally obtain personal information – such as bank account details, ID numbers, passwords and usernames.
These are often sent electronically by individuals posing as legitimate entities who are out to conduct financial fraud.
“Consumers are fooled into providing personal details, or depositing money into fraudulent accounts, based on the assumption that these communications are authentic.”
Hurwitz says that there are currently two primary channels used to conduct what is known as "advance fee scams’", namely email and SMS.
These communications are designed to look real and can easily trick consumers into financial losses.
He says anyone receiving an unsolicited email or SMS which appears to come from a legitimate source, but requests personal information, should contact that organisation directly to verify that the communication is authentic before taking any action.
"Consumers who potentially fall victim to these scams are likely to ignore warnings about phishing, because they don’t generally transact online, so don’t believe the warnings relate to them," says Hurwitz.
Another popular type of scam currently doing the rounds involves people receiving an SMS (or email) claiming that they have won money, but in order to receive the funds they need to send their banking details, or deposit money into an account.
“No official organisation would ask for personal details in this manner, or request money to be deposited in order to receive a prize, so everyone should immediately be suspicious of this type of communication,” warns Hurwitz.
“With the number of innovative scams growling on a monthly basis, it is imperative that consumers are more vigilant about verifying any communication relating to financial matters before giving out personal information or making payments.”
Tips to avoid becoming a victim
- When an email or SMS requests personal details or payment, contact the organisation in question directly to verify the authenticity of the communication;
- Never provide or verify personal details via SMS or unsecure websites (a secure website will have an image of a lock on the browser status bar, or the URL will read “https” as opposed to “http”);
- Never deposit money into a bank account, especially a private bank account, unless the communication has been verified with a legitimate organisation;
- Never click on links, download files or open attachments from unknown sources;
- Never enter personal information on a pop-up screen - a legitimate organisation will never request details lin this manner; and
- Check bank statements regularly to ensure no unauthorised transactions have taken place.
