KLEIN KAROO NEWS - Fraud is an ever-increasing concern in our country as fraudsters tend to get their claws more easily into soft targets like the elderly.
Scammers target the elderly
"It is with great concern that we have noticed our elderly citizens become easy targets of fraudulent crime," says Louw.
"Convincing scammers continue to catch people off-guard as they sound legitimate when dealing with potential victims. It is for this reason that community members, especially the elderly, should be extra vigilant when dealing with unknown or suspicious phone calls."
Some examples
• People phoning, pretending to be from your bank's fraud department. These scammers usually inform you of a suspicious transaction done on your account and will ask for your personal details such as your bank account number or identity number. Never provide any personal or banking information over the phone. Rather call your bank or go to your nearest branch for confirmation. Regularly monitor transactions done on your card via SMS, e-mails received from your bank or bank statements.
• Some scammers phone and pretend to be from a cellphone company telling potential victims that a sim swap needs to be done on their number after which an OTP number will be received to send back to them. Never confirm the OTP number. Rather report the incident to your cellphone provider immediately.
• "We are also still receiving cases were people become victims at ATMs when strangers offer to help them, [but it is just a way] to get hold of a victim's pin. If you are uncertain what to do at the ATM, ask for assistance from a bank employee or take someone you know and trust with you to assist," says Louw.
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