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Search across help situations, guides, tools, resources and South African safety information.
40 results for “scam”
Quick Help
Find practical guidance for suspicious payments, scams and money sent to the wrong person.
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You clicked a link in a message or email and now you're not sure if something happened. A suspicious link may lead to a fake login page, a malicious download, a scam, or another form of fraud. Clicking a link on its own does not automatically mean your device has been hacked — what matters is what you did after the page loaded.
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You've noticed messages you didn't send, you were logged out unexpectedly, or someone told you they received a strange message from your account. This can happen if someone obtained your verification code or gained access through WhatsApp Web.
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You received a call, SMS, or email claiming to be from your bank, asking you to verify details, approve a transaction, or move money to a 'safe account'. A request for your PIN, full password, one-time code, or a transfer to a 'safe account' is a major scam warning sign. Contact your bank directly through a trusted channel.
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You've learned that your ID number, banking details, address, or other personal information may have been exposed, perhaps through a data breach at a company you use. This increases the risk of identity theft and targeted scams, but it doesn't mean fraud has definitely happened.
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You've realised that a payment or transfer you made went to a scammer rather than the person or organisation you believed it was going to. Time matters here — the sooner you report it, the better the chance of stopping or reversing the transaction.
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You've discovered a fake profile, account, or message pretending to be you — often used to scam your friends, family, or contacts.
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Scams often create pressure, ask for sensitive information or money, impersonate a trusted person or organisation, or try to bypass normal checks. Slow down, verify independently, and do not rely on contact details supplied by the suspicious message.
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If you sent money to a scammer, contact your bank or payment provider immediately using an official channel and ask whether the transaction can be stopped, recalled, or investigated. Preserve the evidence and secure any compromised accounts.
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Unexpected urgency, links, requests for payment or requests for passwords, PINs or one-time passwords are common warning signs. Verify the message through the organisation's official app, website or trusted contact details.
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Urgency, requests for money or sensitive information, unexpected links, unusual files and requests for verification codes are warning signs. Verify the person or organisation through a separate trusted method before acting.
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Contact your bank through an official channel immediately, explain what information you entered, and follow its instructions. If card details were exposed, ask whether the card needs to be blocked or replaced. Do not contact the scammer through the suspicious site.
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Before paying, verify who you are paying, why you are paying, where the request came from and whether the payment details are genuine. Treat pressure, unusual instructions and requests to bypass normal processes as warning signs.
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A convincing design does not prove that a website is legitimate. Check the exact domain, how you arrived there, what the site is asking for, and whether you can reach the organisation through its official app or website instead.
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Do not share a verification code with someone who contacted you unexpectedly. The code may allow them to complete a login, recovery, payment, or number transfer.
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If you shared a banking OTP, contact your bank through an official channel immediately. Ask them to check for unauthorized transactions or account changes, secure the account, and tell you what further action is required.
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If your card details were exposed, contact your bank or card issuer through an official channel, explain that the details may be compromised, and ask what protective action is appropriate. Monitor the account for unauthorized transactions.
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Do not provide passwords, OTPs, PINs, or card security information. End the call and contact your bank using an official channel you find independently.
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Phishing impersonates a trusted person or organisation to persuade you to reveal information, open a link, download something or take another risky action. Check the request, sender, destination and pressure before doing anything.
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If you gave someone an OTP, treat the account as potentially compromised. Secure the account immediately, change the password if appropriate, review recent activity, and contact the relevant bank or service if the code was financial or account-recovery related.
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Treat a verification code you shared as potentially compromised. Secure the affected account from a trusted device, review active sessions and recovery details, and contact the service or bank through an official channel if financial access may be involved.
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Do not install remote-access software at an unexpected caller's request. If you already installed it, disconnect the session, remove the software, secure important accounts, and check the device.
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Stop sharing further information, keep evidence of where and with whom you shared the document, and contact the relevant organisation through an official channel if you suspect a scam or misuse. Watch for suspicious account or financial activity.
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Contact the bank or payment provider immediately through an official channel. Explain exactly what you approved and ask what protective or dispute steps are available.
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Open your bank's official app or contact the bank using a trusted number. Check the transaction and account activity, and report anything you did not authorise.
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Contact your bank immediately through its official channel, report the unfamiliar beneficiary, and review recent transactions and account-security changes.
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Verify what was actually exposed before assuming the worst. Change compromised or reused passwords, enable MFA, and be alert for targeted phishing.
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Work out what information was exposed, secure accounts connected to it, remove unnecessary public information where possible, and monitor for suspicious activity. Do not assume that every exposed detail means an account has already been compromised.
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Cyber Conduct is about how we behave, communicate, protect ourselves and treat others in digital spaces.
Toolkit
Review what's public, what apps can access, and how your accounts are secured.
Toolkit
A quick set of checks before you click, reply, or pay.
Toolkit
Reduce how easy your social accounts are to take over or impersonate.
Toolkit
A quick set of questions to ask when a message, offer, or request feels wrong.
Toolkit
A quick check for texts, emails, DMs, and messaging-app messages that don't feel right.
Toolkit
A final safety check before sending money online.
Resources
The mechanics behind fake messages designed to steal your information.
Resources
Reducing your exposure to takeover and impersonation on social platforms.
Resources
How multi-factor authentication stops most account takeovers.
Resources
A calm, practical sequence for handling news that your data was exposed.
Resources
Understanding the mechanics behind one of South Africa's most damaging scams.