AS the year draws to a close, many Zululanders are hoping to secure extra cash to end their year on a good note – whether it be for a holiday getaway, home renovation or exciting Christmas gifts.
But police are raising the alarm on fraudsters pretending to be reputable banks or registered credit providers offering bogus loans.
One Richards Bay resident was this week scammed by a website using the name of short-term loan company Wonga Finance SA.
‘He was told that to secure his loan, he had to pay a deposit,’ said Richards Bay SAPS spokesperson Debbie Ferreira.
‘But right after the deposit went through, the account was closed and his money was gone.’
This Wonga con was revealed earlier this year by the Hawks as offering a tempting interest rate of 3.5% for a personal loan of R60 000 over a five-year term, which comes to low monthly payments of R1 091.51.
‘No bank or credit provider will ask you to pay administration fees or deposits for a loan,’ warns Ferreira.
Another Zululander was tricked by a con artist pretending to be calling from Standard Bank to confirm his banking details.
His money was later withdrawn from his account by the suspect.
A study conducted by information security and privacy practice 4Di Privaca, branded South Africa as the second most targeted country globally when it comes to phishing attacks.
It showed the cost of phishing in South Africa amounted to approximately $320-million last year alone and that South Africa accounts for 5% of the total volume of all phishing attacks globally.
