Phishing

Phishing is a form of email fraud, where the fraudster tries to trick you into providing personal information, such as your username, password, passcode and transaction verification, by pretending to be a trustworthy source.

How it happens and red flags to look out for

• Fraudsters send unsolicited e-mails to recipients purporting to come from a reliable source like the bank, South African Revenue Service, South African Police Services etc.
• The email may request to update, confirm or view your details by clicking on a link or an icon, or to open an attachment. Once clicked, the link will divert the victim to a fraudulent website under control of the fraudster and any information entered onto this page will be sent to the fraudsters.
• The information requested usually personal information and could include usernames and passwords for banking platforms or e-mail accounts as well as cell phone numbers.
• Clicking on the link or icon could also result in your computer being infected with malware.

How to respond and protect yourself or organisation

• Do not reply or click on links or icons in unsolicited emails message, delete the message immediately.
• To authenticate a website use Yima to check for known vulnerabilities and security headers on the website and report any scams to Yima.
• Always verify the identity of anyone requesting sensitive information or funds, especially if the request is unusual, by confirming it through an alternative method such as a direct call or in-person communication.
• Ensure that communication occurs via official channels and verify the authenticity of the sender.
• In cases where you believe your device and/or your profile has been compromised, notify the bank immediately.

Reporting options

• To report fraud-related incidents, please email cibfraud@absa.africa
• To report phishing incidents, please email secmon@absa.co.za
• To report a matter after business hours, please contact our Fraud Hotline on 0860 500 703 or 010 211 3117.