SABRIC warns consumers of phishing scams

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"Criminals use tactics like phishing and installing malware onto their victims' computers in order to steal personal information necessary to access their victim's online banking profile," SABRIC spokesperson Kanyisa Ndyondya said.

Ndyondya said criminals often use phishing to trick consumers into disclosing their personal information such as usernames, passwords, credit card details and mobile phone numbers.

Sometimes the criminals request a consumer's "one time password" which will be sent to the users' mobile phone.

"They do this by sending emails that look like they come from trusted sources, such as banks or legitimate companies. These mails entice the recipient to respond by clicking on a hyperlink," she said.

Clicking on the hyperlink will divert the victim to a fraudulent website under the control of a criminal and any information entered on this page such as a user name and passwords for banking profiles and cellphone numbers will be sent to the criminals.

The fraudsters can then access a consumer's online banking profile illegally.

To minimise the risk of being scammed, consumers should take note of the following tips:

• Do not click on links in unsolicited emails and delete them immediately.
  
• Type in the URL for your bank in the internet browser if you need to access your bank's webpage.
  
• Never click on a link to take you to your bank's website.
  
• Keep your operating system and browser patches, anti-virus and anti-spy software up to date on your personal computer/laptop or cellphone as they include important security enhancements to help detect phishing sites and malware.
  
• Make sure that you are not on a spoof site by clicking on the security icon on your browser tool bar to ensure that the URL begins with https rather than http. If you think that you might have compromised yourself, report it to your bank immediately.
  
• Should you realise that you have responded to a phishing mail, change your internet banking credentials immediately and advise your bank.
  
• Register for SMS notifications so that you can be alerted to any money moving from your bank account, real time.