Johannesburg - Despite private jets and spur-of-the-moment international trips not being as common in SA, scams have grown as most people frantically search for love.
Whether you are meeting someone on a dating application or in person, paying attention to small details may save you from harm.
Ayanda Ndimande, head of Sanlam Business Development for Retail Credit, shares some of the most common red flags to look out for.
Ndimane cites Simon Leviev on Netflix’s Tinder Swindler as an eye-opening example of a reported defrauder.
Send money now.
“The more time you mull things over, the less likely you are to be conned. Internet villains like Simon know this, and so their schemes often come with a time crunch. Don’t let yourself be pressurised into acting quickly,” says Ndimande.
While these tell-tale signs were not part of Simon Leviev’s con, make sure you are also on the lookout for them.
Send me your passport details.
Scammers love knowing everything about you, so asking for your passport details on the first date should be a massive red flag. From your ID or passport number and physical address to your bank statements, they will try to glean as much personal information as they can from you. Be extremely cautious about disclosing your personal information to anyone.
It’s too good to be true.
Simon’s victims were looking for love and a lavish lifestyle, so a single billionaire was an enticing hook. In the same way, it is very tempting to think that you may be the luckiest person in the world, but if an offer of a R500 000 loan at 2% interest finds itself in your inbox, then it’s almost certainly too good to be true.
Phishing/Vishing
Phishing is especially vicious, as it is scam correspondence framed to look like it’s from someone you know. For example, you might get an email from your boss asking you to urgently send funds because there’s a problem with the company account.
It looks legit, seems to come from an address almost exactly like your boss’s email address, and is signed with your employer’s name.
If you get any email asking for funds, pick up the phone immediately and call the right people to clarify that it comes from the company. It’s especially easy to fall for phishing and vizing (voice fishing for funds via platforms like WhatsApp).
Spelling Mistakes
When was the last time your bank sent you correspondence with spelling mistakes? Reputable companies hire people to make sure that does not happen.
Scammers, on the other hand, just hope that you don’t notice. It is also a good idea to check the email address. If it is from a Gmail account, Yahoo, or any other free email service, then do not click it.
Ndimande concludes: “Internet fraud is rife and can have a devastating effect on your life, so you must be vigilant.”
The Star