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How this scam works

  • Fraudsters call you and pose as Nedbank employees or collection agents acting on behalf of Nedbank, saying that you are in arrears on payments for your home, vehicle or personal loan.
  • They threaten you with legal action or repossession of your home or vehicle if you do not make an immediate payment.
  • They shift the communication to WhatsApp or similar external platforms and send you the bank account details for the immediate payment.
  • Once you make the payment into the account they provide you, the fraudsters disappear with your money.
  • To gain access to additional personal information, they may do the following:
    • Say that you’ve been placed on debt review and offer help to remove you from debt review. They then send you legitimate-looking debt review documents to complete and ask that you return the documents with a copy of your ID and payslip in return for a debt review removal certificate.
    • Offer you a loan to help with the required immediate payment. They ask you for various documents like a copy of your ID, proof of income, and bank statements.

The fraudsters then use your documents to commit identity theft and apply for credit without you knowing.

 

Tips to keep safe

  • Don’t be rushed into making a payment or sharing your personal information. Always confirm urgent payment requests with the bank first.
  • Nedbank will never send you banking details for payments on WhatsApp or via email from service providers like Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo.
  • If you want to make a payment to MFC, use the banking details provided on the MFC website. Access mfc.co.za, select Manage my account and click on MFC banking details.
  • Never share your personal information like your ID or payslip with anyone. Always confirm any requests for information by calling the person back on an independently sourced number.
  • When calling back to confirm a call from Nedbank, do not just confirm if the person works at Nedbank. Talk to the individual and check that they have indeed contacted you.
  • Don’t trust caller ID. Fraudsters use number-masking software to make it seem like you are receiving a call from a legitimate number.