Discovery Bank fraud warning

In a notice sent to customers, Discovery Bank warned of fraudsters impersonating its fraud department and contacting customers to pressure them into sharing card details.

It says these fraudsters call claiming fraudulent transactions on customers’ accounts and emphasises that its staff will never ask for a customer’s card details.

“Remember, we’ll never ask for your full or missing card details to confirm or reverse a transaction, or to process a refund,” the warning reads.

“If this happens, hang up immediately and call us on 011 324 4444.”

The bank also advised its customers on how to stay safe in the face of increased fraud in the banking space:

• Never approve purchases you aren’t aware of.
• Read all authorisation messages carefully.
• Turn on transaction alerts to receive account notifications.
• We’ll never use your transaction history to confirm payments.
• We’ll never ask for confidential information over the phone.

“Stay vigilant and follow our tips to protect your personal and financial info,” it said.

This warning follows Discovery Bank’s warning of a fake police scam circulating in mid-April 2025.

The bank said it had observed an increase in fraudsters pretending to be South African Police Service (SAPS) detectives. These fraudsters used fake badge numbers to try to convince their victims.

The scam’s premise is to claim that fraudulent activities have been linked to a victim’s cellphone linked to their ID number, before transferring them to a “senior detective” for further assistance.

The “senior detective” then falsely alleges that the ID number was used to create various mule accounts to extort funds from people.

They then ask the client about the balance in their accounts and advise them to transfer the money to a fake SAPS account, claiming it will be returned upon completion of the investigation.

“These fraudsters use intimidation tactics such as fear and or threats of arrest to put pressure on their victims to make the payment,” Discovery Bank warned.

It added that SAPS would never demand money to drop a case or prevent an arrest.

Discovery Bank said these fraudsters often call victims from private or untraceable numbers, which can sometimes be masked to look like they come from legitimate sources.

The bank advised South Africans to remain calm if they receive such a call, as the fraudsters rely on fear and panic to pressure victims.

“Never make payments, transfer funds, or provide banking information over the phone,” it said.

“Verify the detectives’ identities, ask for their full name, station, and case number. Then, contact or visit the SAPS station they claim to be from to verify the case legitimacy.”

However, Discovery Bank noted that the most common modus operandi for banking-related crimes remains phishing and vishing of customer details to gain access to their accounts.

Capitec warns of renewed fake police scam

Capitec also recently sent customers a notice warning them of fraudsters posing as well-known companies, claiming that their IDs had been linked to serious crimes.

The scammers then claim to “transfer” victims to the police, to whom they must prove their innocence.

Capitec says this is just a social engineering technique to get victims to share confidential information.

The bank encourages South Africans to never share PINs or banking information, even with callers who claim to be from the SAPS.

It suggested contacting the police directly to verify such claims instead of being transferred.

Capitec said the SAPS should never ask people for money or to sign into their banking app. It also would not use WhatsApp to conduct investigations.

MyBroadband has learnt of a similar attack where fraudsters claim to be from Icasa and say your phone will be disconnected because it was used in banking fraud and to harass people.