payment scams Archives - AfricaBusiness.com

17Nov

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African News

SAFPS Warns: Technology is Emerging as a Major Battleground in the Fight Against Fraud

International Fraud Awareness Week is a global annual event dedicated to raising awareness about the widespread issue of fraud and showcasing the efforts across various sectors to combat this growing challenge. This year it takes place from November 17 to 24. "The role technology plays in fraud, and scams is becoming particularly challenging in South Africa," says Nazia Karrim, Head of Product Development at the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS), “with South Africa growing into an increasingly connected society, online fraud is a significant challenge that needs to be addressed." Be Careful of Business Email Compromise (BEC) The increased nature of technology-based fraud is evident in the recent statistics accompanying it. This is a significant challenge for companies th...

7 scams to watch out for in 2024

As technology gets more advanced, fraudsters are also getting better at deceiving and stealing from us. Watch out! In 2024, scammers have some new tricks up their sleeve, such as deepfake impersonation. That is why fostering a zero-trust mindset can help to keep yourself safe from these scams. Deepfake impersonation scams Imagine receiving a voice note from your CEO instructing you to transfer money to a bank account. You follow the instructions without realising that the voice note is a deepfake. And just like that, you have fallen for a scam. Deepfakes make use of AI technologies to create new – but fake – images, videos, and/or audio material from existing material, “Artificial intelligence (AI) technology makes it easier for fraudsters to create these convincing fake messages from p...

Payment Fraud: Steps to Take If Your Business Gets Scammed

Payment fraud is a nightmare scenario for any business. Irrespective of size, companies face substantial financial and reputational harm resulting from fraudulent activity. Depending on the severity of the crime and the losses incurred, the very survival of the business may be at stake. Ryan Mer, CEO at eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider, says banking and payment fraud remains a serious concern as fraudsters use increasingly sophisticated methods to exploit process vulnerabilities and take advantage of human error. A 2021 TransUnion report noted a significant surge in fraud and criminal activity related to financial services in South Africa, with fraud in this sector surging over 187% in the last year. An Accenture report from the previous year confirms South Afr...