Who are you going to call?
There are a wide range of scams that are rampant in South Africa and it is important to know who you need to contact in case you find yourself being scammed. In this guide we will go through who the relevant reporting channels are in South Africa and how to get into contact with them.
Fake scams
Fake scams range from ‘social media posts or websites claiming to have a giveaway’ to ‘phone calls by unknown numbers claiming to need access to your login banking details to secure your account’. They may not seem harmful when you first encounter them but these scammers will improve overtime and you might fall victim to their tactics. For these types of scams you can contact SAFPS (Southern African Fraud Prevention) and YIMA.
Fraud
Fraud is a deliberate act where someone will try to gain access to your personal and financial information for their personal gain. Fraudsters will use deceptive methods to influence you to take immediate action such as providing passwords or banking pin numbers to “secure your account”. You can report fraud to the SAPS (South African Police Service) by going to your nearest police station.
Impersonation
In the online space, you will often notice that there are users whose profiles will often get impersonated. Celebrities are particularly prone to having their accounts impersonated and these accounts usually take a while to get rid of. You can report impersonation to the SAPS by going to your nearest police station.
Phishing calls
Have you ever received a call by someone who had a robotic sounding voice? Yeah, me too. These automated calls will often try and get you to take a specific action that will ultimately end with them getting all of your personal and financial information. With phishing calls, the easiest thing to do would be to block the number to prevent them from calling again. You can report phishing calls to the SAPS by going to your nearest police station or you can report it to SARS if someone is impersonating a SARS employee.
Smishing
Sms phishing is a daily occurrence for some of us. I personally receive the same kind of smses daily and that is how I know that those are not legit. Phishing tactics will often provide a sense of urgency and sometimes it will even contain a link for you to click. It goes without saying but you should never click on any links attached to a dodgy sms because it will most likely send you to an unsecure server. You can report these scams to WASPA (Wireless Application Service Providers Association).
It is important to remain vigilant when you are online and never engage with accounts, emails, posts or phone calls that seem suspicious. Trust your instincts on whether a post is legit or not and remember to report them to the relevant authorities.
