Johannesburg – GoTyme Bank has warned South Africans about a social media scam offering cheap flights that criminals allegedly use to steal personal and banking information and take control of victims’ devices.
The bank’s head of operational risk and fraud, George Wandsella, said scammers advertise discounted flights on Facebook and Instagram before contacting interested victims on WhatsApp.
“Fraudsters are running ads on Facebook and Instagram offering discounted flight tickets to capture your contact details,” Wandsella said.
Victims are then sent links and coached into downloading an app that supposedly provides access to the discounted flights. The app can contain malware that allows criminals to access devices, obtain banking information and conduct unauthorised transactions.
GoTyme urged customers not to enter personal details into suspicious adverts or download apps sent by unknown contacts.
“Don’t follow instructions from someone offering to help you install an app. Never share your PIN, password, or OTP. Never allow anyone to access your phone or share your screen,” the bank said.
Nelson Mandela University cyberlaw professor Sizwe Mtuze said technology-enabled fraud was becoming increasingly sophisticated, MyBroadband reported.
“Technology is changing. The methods are changing. People were using very different, rudimentary methods 10 years ago, but as technology improves, so do the crooks,” he said.
Mtuze said criminals were increasingly impersonating banks and legitimate businesses to obtain sensitive information.
“That is usually where the scammers would come and pretend to be the banks or pretend to be offering particular services, and you end up sharing personal information, which is then used nefariously.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
