Staff Reporter
THE First National Bank Namibia (FNB), is warning their clients and all consumers at large against fraudsters and cybercrimes as the Black Friday promotions prevail.
The commercial bank indicated that the bank has seen the common types of fraud that customers fall victim to, which are phishing, vishing and smishing fraud which involves fraudsters obtaining clients’ banking login and or card details.
The bank further said customers should avoid responding to texts, phone calls, or emails that require such confidential information, adding that FNB will never ask a client to process a transaction in order to reverse fraud. In addition, FNB will never ask a client for their OTP or confidential information such as their banking password.
It is the bank’s view that cybercriminals occasionally create bogus online stores that claim to sell hard-to-find items like beauty cosmetics or the latest gadgets and that some even place adverts on websites and social media to lure clients, with product photographs, descriptions, reviews, a shopping cart, and a payment process to look credible.
The bank further said that if one purchase from one of these rogue stores, their money, payment information, and personal information will be exposed to criminals, hence the best way to avoid such scams is to shop from trusted providers and platforms. Clients are advised to never click on links sent in these notifications.
According to Ingrid Katjiukua, the Forensic Manager at FNB, online shopping has become a popular way for consumers to maximise shopping sprees such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. However, this time of the year is always characterised by a rise in attempts to defraud unsuspecting consumers through malicious tricks and scams. Hence it is always important to be on high alert whether you’re shopping in-store or online.
She further indicated that fraudsters often impersonate bankers, fraud investigators, and customer service consultants to defraud consumers. Their goal is to gain access to sensitive information, such as a One-Time PIN (OTP) required to authenticate transactions or credentials like a username or password to access your bank accounts.
“The golden rule is to keep in mind that no reputable institution will ask you to disclose such information to their representatives. It is critical to never share such sensitive information with a third party,” Katjiukua added.
In order to protect themselves against fraudsters, consumers should always exercise caution to protect themselves from possible fraud when doing transactions. This, according to the bank, can help prevent financial losses and the compromise of one’s financial personal information. Precautionary measures include paying attention to financial institutions’ safety guidelines and taking personal responsibility to ensure that safety is always a priority.
When one suspects that they have been a victim of fraud, they must notify their financial institution immediately. Clients are also advised to make use of the FNB App to temporarily block, cancel, or replace their cards if they suspect fraud.
“Protecting yourself is not simply limited to your bank card, but also includes being observant and practising safe banking behaviour all-round, online, on ATMs, over the phone. It is important to remember that fraudsters are always looking for loopholes, so customers must be multiple steps ahead with adequate safety measures,” concluded Katjiukua.
