{"id":607239,"date":"2025-08-19T07:59:03","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T05:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=607239"},"modified":"2025-08-19T07:59:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T05:59:47","slug":"standard-bank-fraud-warning-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/security\/607239-standard-bank-fraud-warning-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Standard Bank fraud warning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Standard Bank has warned customers about a recent rise in fraudsters using artificial intelligence (AI)- generated voices and emails to impersonate bank officials and steal customers’ money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bank said that these scams were becoming increasingly difficult for customers to identify, as the calls and emails appear to come from their bank’s legitimate contact details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standard Bank fraud risk management head Athaly Khan said that AI’s rapid development has enabled an “alarming enhancement” in spoofing techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technologies like voice cloning, deepfake videos, chatbots, and AI-generated phishing emails have made spoofing more difficult to detect. “Current scams look and sound more real than ever before,” Khan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, fraudsters combine this tactic with vishing, where they appear to call from a valid Standard Bank number to extract information from victims that could compromise their accounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The call mimics the tone and structure of a genuine bank interaction, often including standard security questions and disclaimers,” Standard Bank explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“To build trust, scammers may reference personal details such as birth dates, addresses, or account types. This information might seem harmless, but it is used to create credibility.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standard Bank said that the fraudsters would typically call about a service offering or to validate detected suspicious activity on the customer’s banking profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a customer panics, they ask them to transfer funds to a “safe” account, scan a QR code, click a link, or share sensitive information like OTPs or instant money voucher codes and PINs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fraudsters also use AI to craft more convincing phishing emails, making them less likely to be detected by sharp customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These messages often use an urgent, threatening tone to pressure customers into acting quickly,” Standard Bank said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For example, they may claim that accounts have been flagged due to KYC or FICA compliance issues.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The emails usually have dangerous malware hidden in links, attachments, icons, or QR codes. Once clicked or scanned, harmful software can be deployed to a user’s device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These elements may also redirect customers to legitimate-looking clone websites designed to steal login credentials and card details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mistakes to avoid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In general, Standard Bank advised caution against any communications calling for urgent responses or actions from the customer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also provided several tips for people to avoid falling victim to AI-based fraud techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n