With two new alerts regarding elevated risks of phishing attacks against consumers – one from DStv, and another from the New Development Bank – South Africans are warned to take care when receiving emails offering loans, cash prizes or other forms of rewards.
According to news reports, fraudsters posing as employees at the New Development Bank have initiated an email scam offering consumers the chance to open bank accounts or take out loans – neither of which the New Development Bank offers.
A separate scam targeting DStv customers is offering cash prizes and gift cards in exchange for personal information about the recipient, which can later be used to launch more targeted cyberattacks at consumers.
Another scam sees criminals offering DStv customers an upgrade to DStv Premium for a single fee.
According to Mikey Molfessis, cybersecurity expert at Mimecast, there is a general increase in cyberattacks in the lead up to the festive season when spending increases and bonuses are being paid.
“Phishing, which involves cybercriminals using fraudulent electronic communication such as email to trick recipients into divulging sensitive information such as passwords or identity documents, or into making a payment into a criminal’s account, can have devastating consequences.
“Our latest State of Email Security Report found that 53% of South African respondents saw an increase in phishing attacks with malicious links or attachments in the past year.
“Consumers are warned to take great care when clicking on links in emails or opening attachments, as these are popular attack methods for cybercriminals that can leave you vulnerable to security risks,” Molfessis adds.