Cellphone Scam & Identity Theft

We've all heard horror stories about people's money being stolen out of their online bank accounts, or receiving accounts for which they have never applied and then finding out that someone has done a whole lot of shopping on their behalf, leaving them with untold hassles never mind the debt itself!

Clearing one's name is not as easy as walking into the store & telling them that you are not responsible for the debts. In fact, it can cost you quite a packet in legal fees, over and above the time wasted!

Criminals are getting smarter and the latest scam involved many cellphone store employees who steal customers cellphone numbers, and then apply for a SIM swap. Essentially they are able to hijack your cellphone and then, receive the bank's unique verification code via SMS and transfer money out of your account online.

Normally, a SIM swap is done when a cellphone is stolen and a replacement SIM card is issued with the person's original cellphone number unchanged.

So far, only Vodacom has admitted to being affected by this crime. South Africa's other networks MTN and Cell C are aware of the problem but apparently have not been affected by it.

What are the warning signs?

• Your cellphone suddenly stops working and you are unable to SMS or make calls: Although this could be a sign of a network problem, it could also be that a SIM swap has taken place without your knowledge, leaving your SIM card useless. Call your servioce provider immediately to ensure that a SIM swap has not been done.
  
• You get an email from your bank asking you to confirm your bank details and password. Never reply to these emails, regardless of how credible and legitimate they look. Contact your bank immediately.

Insurance protection against Identity Theft is available from Absolutely Covered Brokers, underwritten by AIG SA. Contact us for more information on how to protect yourself against Identity Theft.