4 Scams in South Africa that are on the Rise

It is vital that you do not fall into an online scammers trap, especially recently as online scams have been on the rise in South Africa.

Here are the most common signs of these four popular online scams that you need to be aware of in order to not become the next victim.

Online Goods. Scammers love to target those who are selling valuables online. They may tell you that they want to meet and pick up the goods and pay via EFT. Either they will reverse the transfer once they have received the goods or they will send you fake proof of payment.

Always meet in a safe, public environment and rather accept payments in cash only.

Account Information. If you receive an email or SMS from your bank claiming that your account number or information has been changed, be very wary! A lot of people fall for this and end up paying a scammer for absolutely nothing, believing that it is a legitimate message from their bank.

If you receive messages like this, rather contact your bank to double-check that it is real.

Phone Blocking. Similar to other scams where you unknowingly give out your private information, a scammer will block your phone so you cannot see that they are withdrawing your money. This means you can’t take the correct steps to stop the scam because you do not realise it is happening.

Fake Loans. If you apply for a loan online be aware of fake companies. They are easy to spot because they will approve your loan, regardless of the amount you request, however, there will be an initiation fee to get the loan.

Do not ever pay a fee in order to receive a loan!

Have you been the victim of a scam? Please contact our OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) department on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za