The Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS) of South Africa on Thursday urged the public to be on high alert as fraudsters usually strike during the festive season.
The OBS said fraudsters intensify their activities during the festive period and urged people not to be “the biggest enablers of crime”.
“It is important that all South Africans remain vigilant to the existence of these fraudsters, whose mission is to defraud anyone they come in contact with. Often, large sums of money – sometimes a person’s whole life savings – are wiped out in the process,” said Reana Steyn from the OBS.
She stated that some report the crimes long after their commission, thus delaying investigations and giving time to criminals to escape.
“As the Ombudsman has done in the past, we are urging consumers to ensure that they educate themselves about the threats and modus operandi that fraudsters use in order to protect themselves and their money,” Steyn said. Enditem
