With reported scam incidents increasing by 46% in the first four months of this year compared to 2021, consumers can now secure their identities and report potential scams on a soon-to-be launched portal.
The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) will in June launch Yima, a website that is designed to fight fraud and to ensure swift investigation by law agencies.
Scams have become a crisis internationally and locally, the surge in scams in the last four months has shown a 46% increase, according to SAFPS statistics, compared to the same period last year.
Last week, Sowetan Consumer reported about an incident involving an e-hailer l driver whose identity document photo was being used by scammers on Facebook Marketplace to allay the fears of their would-be victims selling products on the platform. The scammers issued a fake proof of payment to the seller before collecting the item that was sold.
Currently, only 7% of scam incidents are being reported to the police and this hinders the identification of the modus operandi of the syndicate, said SAFPS.
According to the organisation, Yima is a toolbox for consumers to use and take proactive steps to prevent themselves from becoming victims of scams.
Nazia Karim, head of product development at SAFPS, says the current economic climate has imposed significant financial stress on SA’s consumers. Many people have lost their jobs, and everyone is looking for ways to save or make extra money.
“Criminals are using these points of desperation to manipulate consumers out of their money. The scams are run by well-funded professional syndicates that are always adapting their strategy to meet current trends and events, so there are always new scams out to trap consumers.
"In addition, technological advancements are also being used by scammers and these are some of the reasons why South Africans are susceptible to scams. It is important to take a proactive approach in the fight against scams,” said Karim.
Traditionally, consumers only become aware that they were victim of a scam once the crime had been committed and significant damage had already been done.
She said Yima's website will be a one-stop-shop for people to report scams, secure their identity, and scan any website for vulnerabilities related to scams.
“They will also be able to educate themselves on identifying a scam. These tools will enable consumers to surf the net more confidently and go about their daily lives aware and informed. These are just some exciting elements South Africans can access through the site. The main element of the website will be the ability to report scam incidents or any suspicious activity to the SAFPS.
“These suspicious activities include fake or suspect-looking online shopping websites and instances where the user has received phoney banking information. These reports will be collated and shared with law enforcement for investigation.
"Users will also be provided a scams hotline to report a fraud incident directly to their banks, retailers or insurance companies via a single number. Users will only need to remember one number rather than search for each institution's contact numbers online,” said Karim.
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