2017-09-26Staff Report 2 Staff Reporter Windhoek-FNB Namibia has once again issued a warning as the FNB impostor scam, especially related to eWallet, is still ongoing and the public is cautioned to be alert and to question any transactions, financial requests, apparent pay-outs or telephone queries before taking any action. “As in the past, we ask our customers to phone us if they are uncertain or if something does not seem right. Our numbers are 061 299 2222/ 061 299 7764 and if customers are uncertain they should get the name and number of the supposed FNB person and return the call via the FNB switchboard, to ensure that the person they talked to is a legitimate employee of the bank,” said Ingrid Kahona-Katjiukua of FNB Forensics. The bank has advised that fraud is an ongoing threat, be it via internet, the change of bank detail scam, refund scam or the impostor scam, which is currently trending. Ingrid explains: “The impostor or caller who pretends to be from FNB Namibia has been manipulating customers by asking them to perform an action on their cellphone, which leads to loss of money through e-wallet payments.” The scam works when a fraudster calls people at random and poses as a FNB employee enquiring about funds that need to be released for various reasons. Dividends, policy payouts, or rewards for long standing customers have been used as ruses to receive money. The call, in most cases, is placed to a landline and the customer is then requested to enter a code on their cell phone for release of funds. This code is normally the cell phone banking string; *140*392# or *140*321# followed by what the fraudster then calls a verification code, but is in fact the amount the customer is about to transfer to the fraudster - e.g. 4994 ultimately sending N$4,994.00. “Such calls are not from FNB Namibia. The bank will never call a customer or a member of the public to release funds for dividends, policy payouts or for any form of receiving or sending money. “We also do not require any ‘codes’ from a customer to release funds. Keep in mind that we will also never ask you to go through any steps on your cellphone. Remain alert and rather question any financial transaction before taking any action,” Kahona-Katjiukua cautioned. 2017-09-26Staff Report 2
