Capitec fraud warning
Capitec has warned South Africans about fraudsters offering bogus work-from-home opportunities online to steal money from desperate job seekers.
In a recent Slam the Scam bi-weekly competition quiz, the bank explained that recruitment scammers typically use ads on social media like Facebook to draw in their victims.
The ads claim applicants can earn hundreds or thousands of rands daily by performing basic tasks like data entry and writing online reviews.
Ads redirect to websites that appear legitimate. After the victim enters their personal details and supporting information, the fraudsters send a message claiming their application was successful.
To strengthen the impression of authenticity, the fraudsters sometimes accompany the message with an employment contract.
The job seeker is then required to pay an access fee to begin using and earning money on a non-existent work-from-home platform.
Capitec warned that fraudsters took advantage of people’s desperation. It advised caution when it came to trusting websites or testimonials, which have become easy to fake.
“They offer quick cash, ask for payment upfront, then vanish,” Capitec said. “If a job makes you pay them first, it’s not an opportunity; it’s a scam.”
“No real employer should ask you to pay to secure a job. If they want your money in order to earn money, it’s a scam.”
Capitec advised job seekers to conduct proper research into companies offering jobs online and follow these tips:
- No legitimate employer will ask job seekers to pay to secure a position
- Fancy websites and contracts don’t mean an offer is real
- Don’t trust job offers on social media
- Be wary of messaging like “Earn big, no skills needed”
The bank recently also warned customers about fraudsters impersonating South African Police Service officers.
These fraudsters call victims and allege that a case has been opened against them for a serious crime. They demand that the victim pay a certain amount to make the case “disappear.”
In some instances, they may also start a WhatsApp video call with a fraudster dressed in a fake police uniform to appear more credible.
To make the call even more convincing, they provide personal details like the person’s home or work addresses.
Capitec said that law enforcement officials would never threaten to arrest people if they did not pay money. “That’s not police procedure, that’s criminal behaviour,” the bank said.
Knowing your personal info does not prove legitimacy
Capitec warned that being able to provide your address or other sensitive personal information does not confirm that a caller is from law enforcement or another legitimate institution.
“Scammers can collect your personal details from hacked databases, social media, even old paperwork,” Capitec said.
It said people should be wary of phone calls in which people stressed the urgent need to make a payment or perform a certain action, and to heed the following advice to avoid falling victim to this scam:
- Police will never ask for money or to sign into your banking app
- Never share your PINs or bank information over the phone, even wth police officers
- Don’t let them transfer you during the call, hang up and call your local police station
- Never fall for threats over the phone
Capitec and several other banks, including Standard Bank, have recently warned about scammers also pretending to be bank staff.
These criminals would convince people to perform or authenticate transactions or to share their online banking passwords or one-time PINs to make certain changes on their accounts.
Common approaches include claiming that a victim’s bank account has been compromised and that they must take action to protect their money.
Nedbank has also warned that fraudsters are spoofing caller ID apps like Truecaller and labelling their numbers with names like “Nedbank Investigations” as another way to impersonate
Banks like Capitec and Discovery Bank have launched in-app calling to help customers identify whether a call is from a real bank employee or a scammer.
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