From Fin24
Absa
Absa has reiterated a warning that typing a PIN into an ATM in reverse order does not work as a police emergency alert.
This follows the recirculation of an old email about ATM security functions.
The email claims that if a person is being robbed at an ATM the police can be notified this way and that money will be dispensed while the police are on their way.
"We want to warn our customers that this 'ATM PIN reversal functionality' does not exist at Absa ATMs.
"By entering your PIN number in reverse will not notify the police in any way, nor will cash be dispensed from the ATMs," an Absa statement said.
If a PIN number is entered in reverse the ATM will generate an error message and the transaction will be declined.
Three of these will result in a restriction on the account holder's card.
Absa did not know who was responsible for the email.
From iafrica.com
FNB
FNB clients beware! A new, very plausible ‘phishing' scam is reeling in unsuspecting victims as we speak.
Phishing is the term used to describe the practice where scam artists send you an email regarding your bank account. They might ask you to sign in with a username and password.
Don't fall for it! Your bank will never send you an email asking for login details.
The one currently doing the rounds is specifically targeting FNB clients. FNB has not yet closed down the link and it is still active.
If you receive such an email, forward it to risk.online@fnb.co.za as it will aid them to close all the links.
SARS
Fraudsters are also posing as SA Revenue Service (SARS) officials and are trying to take tax refunds back from an unsuspecting public, the SA Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) has warned.
"SARS is currently refunding individuals who are entitled to tax refunds and thus the storyline is quite believable," said Sabric commercial crime head Susan Potgieter.
She advised the public not to respond to any requests without contacting SARS directly.
South Africans were also losing thousands of rand at the moment to a variation of the deposit and refund scam, Sabric said in a statement.
In the past, fraudsters deposited a fake cheque into their victim's account, claimed they had made a payment for too great an amount and asked for a refund before the fake cheque was discovered.
Under the new scam, there was no request for a refund. Payment was merely directed into a fraudulent account.
Fraudsters usually targeted businesses claiming to work for one of their creditors and in possession of all the necessary contact details on both sides and the exact amounts involved.
"The fraudsters inform the victim verbally and in writing (using the creditor's letterhead which they fax) that their banking details have changed and the amount must be credited to a newly appointed account number and institution.
"Obviously the account number they provide has been fraudulently opened," said Sabric.
Victims deposited the money into this account and realised they had been scammed only when their genuine creditors contacted them about their outstanding accounts.
"There have been reports of incidents where stickers with new payment details have been stuck onto original invoices directing payment to fraudulent accounts," said Potgieter.
Sabric advised individuals to treat all payments seriously, to check with their creditors directly on telephone numbers other than those from which they were contacted, and to use the electronic transfers agreed on when contracts were entered into.
It advised businesses to treat with suspicion and investigate any request for a refund or unsolicited deposit, train staff to do the same and properly vet staff dealing with financial and other sensitive business information.