What is vishing?
Vishing is a telephonic fraud tactic that works similar to phishing. The fraudster will call you, pretending to be a bank representative or other authoritative person, who requires information such as your ID number, banking details and logon credentials to your online banking profile, to solve a problem or prevent your account from being closed. Vishing is difficult to trace, especially now that fraudsters can mask their numbers, leading a victim to believe that the call is from a legitimate source, or by diverting their number to a legitimate number.
Clients can protect themselves by always being vigilant and never sharing their PIN, password, passcode and transaction verification or card CVV number with anyone.
Life insurance that listens to you
The caller asks you for personal information that Absa would never ask you for.
The caller tells you about a problem that you know is unlikely to be true, like your account being blocked.
You're asked to call back on the number on your screen as a false form of caller validation.
Along with the call, you receive an OTP on your phone without having made the transaction yourself.
How to protect yourself
- Vishing is a way for fraudsters to manipulate you into giving them your personal information so they can hack your accounts or steal your identity.
- Absa will never ask you for your PIN, password or passcode, transaction verification or card CVV number.
- Absa will never ask you to call them back to validate a call.
- Banks will send you a verification message on your cellphone number to approve high-risk transactions.
- Be conscious of the fact that fraudsters are masking their telephone numbers in order to manipulate you into believing that the call is from your bank or authorised personnel.
- Be aware that fraudsters could be diverting their telephone number to the bank’s fraud hotline and requesting you to call back on their number to verify that it is the bank’s fraud department. DO NOT call the number displayed on your phone screen and call the Absa Fraud Hotline directly via the mobile Banking App by using the ‘click to call’ functionality or call 0860 557 557 or +2711 501 5089 to report the suspicious activity.
- Be vigilant! Never ever share your PIN, password, passcode, transaction verification code or CVV number over the phone.
- If you receive a phone call requesting you to share personal or confidential information, end the call immediately.
- If you receive a One Time Pin (OTP) on your phone without having made a transaction, be aware that the fraudster calling has used your personal information to shop or bank online. DO NOT provide the OTP telephonically to anybody. Contact the bank immediately to report fraud.
- If you are suddenly not receiving calls, messages or an OTP that you requested, contact your service provider immediately to verify if your SIM has been swapped or your number ported.
- Never download, install or run any software received as an attachment from a suspicious source.
- If you are a victim of SIM Swap or number porting fraud, call our fraud hotline on 0860 557 557 or +27 11 501 5089 promptly to have your online banking service suspended.
Read below to find out more about the latest vishing scams:
Latest vishing scam
We are aware of scammers contacting Absa customers pretending to be from the Absa Fraud Department and other financial institutions, requesting to transfer funds between customers' accounts to “safeguard” their money. Absa will never contact and request you to transfer funds between various accounts to protect your money. If you suspect fraud, contact our Fraud Hotline on 0860 557 557 or 011 501 5089 immediately.
Stemuitvissing
Ons is bewus dat bedrieërs Absa-kliënte kontak en voorgee dat hulle van Absa se Bedrogdepartement en ander finansiële instellings is, en vra om fondse tussen kliënte se rekenings oor te plaas om hul geld te "beveilig". Absa sal jou nooit kontak en vra dat jy fondse tussen verskillende rekenings oorplaas om jou geld te beskerm nie. Kontak ons Bedrogblitslyn dadelik by 0860 557 557 of 011 501 5089 as jy bedrog vermoed.
Read below to find out more about the latest vishing scams:
Vishing scam alert – Afrikaans
Vishing attacks on our vulnerable customers
Fraudsters are relentless and will steal from you at any cost.
The latest suspicious behaviour:
You receive a call from someone purporting to be from Absa Fraud. They inform you that your account has been compromised by fraudulent transactions, and to protect you, they have opened a new account for you. They then convince you to transfer your money into these fraudulent accounts.
To ensure your safety, be aware of the following:
- Absa will never open an account on your behalf and ask you to transfer your money into the fraudulent account.
- Only approve transactions if you initiated the transactions yourself.
- Be vigilant when receiving phone calls or SMSs.
If you experience the above, call our Fraud Hotline immediately on 0860 557 557 or with the push of a button on your Banking App. Adopt the latest Banking App and benefit from the Digital Fraud Warranty. We encourage you, as our valued customer, to be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour.
Stemuitvissingsaanvalle op ons kwesbare kliënte
Bedrieërs is genadeloos en sal van jou steel, al kos dit ook wat.
Die jongste verdagte gedrag:
Jy kry ’n oproep van iemand wat voorgee dat hulle van Absa Bedrog skakel. Hulle lig jou in dat jou rekening deur bedrieglike transaksies in gevaar gestel is, en om jou te beskerm, het hulle vir jou ’n nuwe rekening geopen. Hulle oortuig jou dan om jou geld na hierdie bedrieglike rekenings oor te plaas.
Om jou veiligheid te verseker, wees bedag op die volgende:
- Absa sal nooit namens jou ’n rekening open en jou vra om jou geld na die bedrieglike rekening oor te plaas nie.
- Keur net transaksies goed as jy dit self begin het.
- Wees wakker wanneer jy oproepe of SMS’e kry.
As jy die bogenoemde ervaar, skakel dadelik ons Bedrogblitslyn by 0860 557 557 of met die druk van ’n knoppie op jou bankdienste-app. Maak seker jy het die jongste bankdienste-app en benut die digitale bedrogwaarborg. Ons moedig jou, ons gewaardeerde kliënt, aan om oplettend te wees en enige verdagte gedrag aan te meld.
Contact details
Fraud Hotline:
0860 557 557
+27 (0)11 501 5089
Secure Call Centre:
+27 (0)11 354 4058
