Reflecting on International Fraud Awareness week, which runs from 13-19 November, both individuals and businesses are encouraged to take proactive steps to increase their awareness of anti-fraud controls and the latest fraud trends to protect themselves from falling victim to scammers.
As the year slowly draws to a close and the excitement of the holiday spend season starts to kick in, the need for hyper-vigilance becomes even more important. During this time, fraudsters seek to swindle unsuspecting customers and small business owners at various cash withdrawal or deposit points such as ATMs and retailer tills.
Zibu Nqala, CEO of FNB Points of Presence, says, “Because cash is so widely used, we often see a rampant increase in ATM related crimes over the holiday season, and consumers typically withdraw substantial amounts of money for various reasons. To avoid falling prey, you must always exercise caution by remaining extra vigilant of your surroundings. It’s also important to constantly familiarise yourself with the latest trends that fraudsters are using to avoid being victimised.”
Nqala shares some useful ATM tips to keep you safe this holiday spend season:
Do’s
- Always keep your ATM PIN confidential and never share it with anyone or write it down. Change your PIN if you believe it has been compromised.
- Familiarise yourself with the look and feel of the ATM so that you can identify any foreign objects attached to it.
- Stand as close as possible to the ATM when transacting and never let anyone stand close or distract you whilst transacting. Cancel the transaction immediately if you are disturbed or distracted.
- When transacting, cover the ATM keypad with your hand as scammers can place cameras to record your PIN as you punch it in. Do not enter your PIN on a screen that is unfamiliar to you. Carefully read the instructions on the ATM screen before entering your PIN.
- If nothing is suspicious, and once cash has been withdrawn safely, immediately place it out of sight. Avoid handling cash in public view and secure your wallet or handbag before leaving the ATM.
- Should your card be retained by an ATM, contact your bank immediately and block your card before you leave the ATM.
- If you forget your bank card at home, you can always use the safe and secured cardless cash withdrawals at the ATM.
- Set a realistic daily limit on your cash withdrawals to protect yourself from any unforeseen incidents.
- Check your statements regularly and report any suspicious transactions immediately. Rather use your debit card for purchases.
Don’ts
- Do not request or accept help from anyone who is not an employee and consultant of the branch.
- Never force your card into the ATM slot – if the card is not easily accepted by the device, it may have been tampered with by criminals and never use an ATM if it looks faulty or show evidence of tampering.
- If the ATM screen appears unusual, refrain from entering your PIN; rather cancel the transaction instead.
- Be wary of strangers that may call you back to the ATM to complete a transaction. They often ask for assistance or offer to assist you.
- Avoid withdrawing large sums of cash.
- Do not post images of your cash on social media, you might not know who is following you.
“FNB customers have multiple options to transact safely whenever and wherever they are. Our branches and ATMs continue to play an important part in ensuring that our customers access services in a convenient and safe manner. This is coupled with several other convenient channels including the FNB App, Online, Cellphone Banking, including large payment transaction alternatives such as PayShap. In general, we encourage customers to maximise the efficiency of all our channels, and most importantly to be vigilant and stay safe over this time,” concluded Nqala.
INFO SUPPLIED.
