New e-scam hits Absa

Some clients this week received e-mails from "Absa", requesting them to upgrade the safety of their internet bank accounts.

The message, carrying Absa's logo, states: "We are committed to providing secure online services. As such, all interactions with our transactional sites are protected through encryption that complies with international standards. Encryption is used to protect the transmission of your personal information when completing online application forms. Our Internet servers are protected by firewalls and intrusion detection systems."

Clients are requested to verify their details by clicking on a link provided, but are reassured that only personnel with the necessary authority will have access to the information.

"We (Absa) have also employed the services of independent security experts to test and advise us on the security of our systems," the message states.

When the client reacts, criminals get access to the online accounts and can then withdraw money from the account or transfer it to other accounts.

In previous scams, clients were requested to "verify" the details, including giving their passwords. It is apparent that attempts to uproot this practice have been successful, which force criminals to devise new scams.

Christo Vrey, Absa Group General Manger: Digital Channels, said that Absa views the content of these e-mails in a very serious light and reiterates that under no circumstances would Absa or any of the other major banks, ever request personal account details from a client, or request a client to verify his/her logon information via an e-mail.

If a client suspect an e-mail looks like "phishing", they should delete it immediately.

The problem for many Absa internet clients is that the bank does communicate legally with clients via this medium. It is criminals with online accounts who know this and then replicate the methods.

The methods that internet criminals use in fraudulent scams are becoming more sophisticated, and now they directly target local companies using the names, look and feel of the major local banks in South Africa, said Vrey.

He said clients should never react on an e-mail requesting any sort of personal or financial information, or asking a client to logon to a service that requires them to input their internet banking or ATM PIN number.

"In an attempt to stay ahead of the criminals' activity, Absa has complex systems in place to ensure the highest level of security for its clients, with a world-class network, data and physical security system in place for both its Internet and Cellphone Banking clients," he said.

Absa spokesperson Patrick Wadula said the banking group had already communicated to its clients to beware of these scams.

"As far as has been established, Absa clients have not been affected directly by the current scams," Vrey added.

- Sake24