The excitement of Black Friday is here, but be careful not to overspend.
Whether buying in-store or online this Black Friday, vigilance with all financial transactions is key.
Chief marketing officer for African Bank, Sbusiso Kumalo, warned, “If you are constantly overspending, debt and savings are likely to go out the window and you may even fall behind on monthly financial commitments, like rent or your car payment.”
He explained that threats like phishing, vishing, ATM skimming and card swapping are just some of the techniques criminals use to access your financial and personal details.
Kumalo offered the following golden rules for Black Friday shopping:
- Get your card back after every purchase and ensure the credit card machine is swiped in front of you
- Never write down your pin or disclose it to anyone and use different pins for different cards
- Keep an eye on the card slot to ensure that your card is not taken out, skimmed and replaced without your knowledge
- If you are carrying cash, be vigilant at all times and don’t get distracted in-store looking at bargains
- Be aware of scam links asking you to click on something you can win, check with the actual store’s website if there are any promotions
- Subscribe to your bank’s SMS notification services – this will inform you of any transactional activity on your account
- If you receive a call from your bank, remember they will never ask for your OTP
- Always use a secure and trusted Wi-Fi connection.
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