[ad_1]
A new category of fraud is gaining importance in South Africa as more and more bank account holders become "money mules".
The Southern Africa Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) warned account holders to be wary of criminals who seek to force them to commit fraud under this scheme.
While banks are starting to use biometrics (fingerprint identification) to check the account holders – in order to enhance security to minimize the theft of identity and l 'de et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et et identity theft – this also creates a loophole for fraudsters, said the SAFPS.
"People at street corners are recruited as mules with the promise of quick payments for the use of their bank account," the group said.
A mule is a person who is used by another person knowingly or unknowingly. They will usually be recruited by someone who does not have their own bank account or who wants to make a transaction invisible.
This comes with the promise of a fast monetary reward.
The monetary fraud has grown so much that SAFPS has opened a new category of fraud due to the growing number of bank accounts that have been misused by third parties.
"Although it may seem like fast money, it is not the case," said SAFPS. "The danger to the consumer is that he is complicit in an indictable offense and that he interferes with a fraudster."
"This may seem like easy money, but the victim has no idea why the money is being used and it is often for illegal profits and even for the trafficking in human beings. "
You chained online
While recruitment is sometimes done at the street level in South Africa, in other parts of the world, a lot of that happens in cyberspace.
The Australian Banking Association has reported that Australian law enforcement and local banks generally use two methods that criminals use to recruit unsuspecting innocent people for their illegal activities.
These are scams where Fraudulent job ads posted online. Another method is to send e-mails to random addresses that you may be the recipient of. This type of scam / email promises quick commissions in return for using the consumer's bank account to receive money and its transfer elsewhere on behalf of the fraudster.
The other method is Scams with romance. It is here that vulnerable singles are targeted and invited to receive money and send it to a third party, supported by the promise of a relationship. Criminals visit online chat rooms, social networking sites, post-hoax websites or fake advertisements and fake profiles.
Read: The new "Money Bomb" scam targets South Africans at ATMs
[ad_2]
Source link
