NATIONAL NEWS - Fraud cases are still a very big concern in the George policing area. According to Captain Nolonwabu Tshengu, George police communications officer, there has been an increase in fraud-related incidents in the business sector the past few months.

The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) urges bank customers to institute good habits to avoid becoming victims of Phishing, Vishing and SMishing scams, which are methods of deceitfully obtaining personal information such as passwords, ID numbers and bank card details by tricking clients into believing that they are from trusted sources.

Phishing
Phishing is when an e-mail requests the user to click on a link in the e-mail which then directs them to a fake website. This website will look almost exactly like that of a legitimate or well-known financial institution in an attempt to obtain, verify or update contact details or other sensitive financial information.

Vishing
Vishing is when a fraudster phones their victim posing as a bank official or service provider and uses social engineering tactics to manipulate them into disclosing confidential information.

SMishing
SMishing (SMS phishing) is where a user is tricked into downloading malware onto their mobile device, which is then used to fraudulently obtain sensitive information by sending out text messages asking users to call a number or click on a link.

Check that you are on your bank's genuine website before inputting any personal information.

What to do

• Do not click on links or icons in unsolicited e-mails.
• Don't reply to these e-mails. Delete them.
• If you are concerned about what is being alleged in an e-mail, contact the sender using verified contact details.
• Always type in the URL (uniform resource locator) or domain name for your bank in the address bar of your internet browser if you need to access your bank's website.
• Check that you are on your bank's genuine website before inputting any personal information.
• Make sure that you are not on a spoof site - click on the security icon in your browser's toolbar to see that the URL begins with https rather than http.
• Check for a closed green padlock next to the URL of the website. This shows your connection with the website is secured and encrypted.
• If you think that you might have been compromised, contact your bank immediately.
• Create complicated passwords and change them often.
• Banks will never ask you to confirm your confidential information over the phone.
• If you receive a phone call requesting confidential or personal information, end the call.
• If you receive an OTP on your phone without having transacted, it was likely prompted by a fraudster using your personal information. Do not provide the OTP telephonically to anybody. Contact your bank immediately and alert them.
• If you lose mobile connectivity under circumstances where you are usually connected, check whether you may have been the victim of a SIM swop.

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