Bereaved family members of recently deceased persons are the latest targets of unscrupulous criminals in the latest eWallet scam. 

FNB Namibia is warning the public that this scam is on the increase as fraudsters try to steal money from people while they are mourning their loved ones. 

Elzita Beukes, FNB Namibia communications manager, advised that this new ‘obituary scam’ is a targeted approach by fraudsters to extract money from bereaved family members who have placed a funeral notice in local newspapers or on social media.

“Fraudsters will contact unsuspecting people on the phone number used in the funeral notice. A fake SMS is then sent to them, which is a replica of what one would normally receive from the +363636 number. Often, you will not focus on the number that the SMS has been sent from. The fraudsters claim to have known the deceased and offer to send you money, perhaps over eWallet. You will then be told that they have sent you too much, and will ask for a portion to be ‘refunded’.  You will, however, not be able to withdraw the money they ‘send’, but the funds you send them will disappear from your account within minutes.”

Beukes thus urges customers to end the call immediately if they do not know the caller. 

“We also encourage all our customers to please contact our forensics department, or our contact centre.  Remain vigilant, and warn your friends and family members. It is a sad reality that fraudsters are preying on the vulnerable and those who are mourning their loved ones, and we urge everyone to be aware and to remain vigilant”.