COVID-19 – Fraud awareness |04 April 2020
The global concern around the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in elevated media attention as well as a flood of commentary on social media platforms.
This widespread concern and publicity create the perfect opportunity for cybercriminals to devise scams and launch phishing attacks to ask for donations; steal your personal information (such as your usernames or passwords); or install malware through phishing attempts, luring you into downloading a different kind of virus.
We ask you to remain vigilant and keep the following important pointers in mind:
- Be wary of any email that communicates great urgency. This ploy is often used to panic people into making mistakes.
- Never respond to any email that entices you to bypass our security protocols. If you are sent an offer that seems too good to be true – it probably is! Never share any personal information with unverified third parties.
- Be on guard and be sure to verify any email or telephone call from someone claiming to be a government or health official.
- Coronavirus scams or attacks can happen at work or at home via email, SMS or over the phone. If you receive a suspicious communication via e-mail, do not respond or click on any links, forward it to your IT department, and then delete it.
- Absa will never ask you for your PIN, password, passcode, full number on your card, or CVV number.
If you suspect that anyone has tried to target you, please contact our Call Centre immediately on 4 38 39 39 to change your password and PIN.
Contributed by Absa Bank