One-time Pin scams concern Durban North SAPS
The suspects target the elderly and often pose as bank officials.
THE Durban North Police Station says it has noticed an increase in ‘one-time Pin (OTP) scams’, or vishing scams, in the last year.
Last month, the spokesperson for the Durban North Police Station, Sergeant Nonhlanhla Shozi, explained that vishing refers to fraudsters using phone calls that trick victims into providing personal information, like passwords or bank details.
Shozi added that the suspects involved in the scam often pose as bank officials and target mostly senior citizens.
“They convince the victim they work for the bank and that some fraudulent activity has taken place on their account. After that, they allege there’s an issue with your account and need your banking details and Pin to rectify it. Some accounts are OTP-protected, and they request this pin in order to access your account. It is deeply concerning.
Related story: Durban North SAPS warns of vishing scams
“This information is then used to defraud the victim. In two of the cases, we’ve recorded the suspect posing as a bank official explaining there was fraudulent activity on their account and they needed details to stop it from happening. In most of the cases, the scam targets elderly people,” she said.
Shozi added that amounts between R8 000 and R20 000 have been taken from victims’ accounts.
She also urged residents not to disclose personal banking information to anyone and added that banks never ask for your account details, password, Pin or OTP.
Darryl Oliver, Durban North Community Policing Forum’s (CPF) public relations officer, echoed her comments.
“Unfortunately, as the CPF, we are also aware of these scams. Another popular method in order to get people to part ways with their money is through phishing. Phishing is usually link-related and can come through an email request from reputable brands and companies. The victim is tricked into clicking on a link in an email which then directs them to a fake website, designed to fool users into thinking that it is legitimate. Often spelling errors or a strange URL are ways of spotting fake accounts,” he said.
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