23 May 2019

With technology advancement and more people being tech-savvy, scammers have found fertile hunting ground, especially in impersonal financial transactions.

Transactions take place via cell phones or internet, with even more service providers encouraging their clients to utilise technological platforms in conducting transactions.

Responding to a questionnaire, First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) communications and public relations manager, Ms Boga Chilinde-Masebu said over the past few months, the bank has learnt of scammers who steal money from their customers using fake messages, which they pass as the bank’s  flagship electronic money transfer system eWallet, which is conducted by phone.

Ms Chilinde-Masebu said some criminals send fake messages to deceive unsuspecting members of the public into believing that they had erroneously received money through eWallet and the culprits call demanding that the money be sent back immediately.

She said some customers, upon seeing the message and without verifying the numbers where the message originates, would then send eWallet to such criminals not knowing that, there was never any money sent to them and that this was a scam.

She explained that the fraud happens in two ways, firstly, a screen shot is sent to a customer showing that an eWallet deposit had occurred, unbeknown to the recipient that it is an old transaction message for someone else.

This is then followed by a call for the fake cash to be returned, prompting victims to send their own money to the criminals via eWallet.

In some instances, she noted that a customer receives a forwarded message from the criminal’s mobile that shows an eWallet deposit. 

“In this instance, money is not stolen directly from eWallet, but criminals find a way of deceiving customers into sending money to them through eWallet,” she said. 

Ms Chilinde-Masebu assured clients that the FNBB money transfer system was secure.

She said the technology used to host their systems is certified and protected, while their internal processes and controls ensure that customers’ money in the bank’s custody is protected.

Therefore, she said criminals have never been able to hack their eWallet system hence all the messages involved in the scams were fake.

Ms Chilinde-Masebu said it was easy to spot a fake number from an original FNBB number since they are sent from normal individual mobile numbers by different mobile network subscribers.

“eWallet will never come from a mobile number, but only from one of the FNBB short codes used to communicate with customers,” she emphasised.

Moreover, she said they have different short codes for different mobile subscribers that FNBB use to transmit e-Wallet messages. 

Nevertheless, Ms Chilinde-Masebu said there are ways one could avoid falling victim to scammers and this includes ensuring that the short codes are from FNBB or one can also confirm with the bank by calling 395 9881 or the FNBB toll free number 0800 302 302 before taking any action. 

“Dialing *130*321# when you have airtime or *103*321# when you do not have airtime to check your eWallet balance can save you from scammers,” she said.

In addition, she said customers could go to any FNBB ATM to verify if e-Wallet had indeed been sent before refunding the criminals, adding that if in doubt, the customer can request the caller to meet them at a police station to make a statement.

Fortunately, she said most customers are vigilant and usually spot criminals before they can steal their money.

Ms Chilinde-Masebu said the bank had embarked on a campaign to educate its customers about the scams through different platforms.  

“As a bank, we will continue to do our part by intensifying communication and education. We also uphold the highest standards and have processes and internal controls in place to safeguard and protect our customers’ assets,” she explained. ENDS