Hoax bank emails and make money online scams are prevalent because there are many people out there who need money fast and will take any opportunity to make it. Phishing – pronounced fishing – is the term used to describe these types of false opportunities. In the past, these would normally take the form of emails requesting your personal details to update your profile on a site where you might have won money. These deceptive websites would capture all of your information and use it to track your use of your credit card. These days, scammers have turned to using banks like Standard Bank, Nedbank, ABSA and FNB to lure you in with requests to update your information.
Deceptive websites can be hard to spot, as can hoax bank emails and make money online scams, but they are not impossible. Most sites ask you to enter more personal details than you normally would online, and offer you false opportunities via your bank. An important thing to remember is that FNB, ABSA, Nedbank and Standard Bank will never let you change details online, or request your password from you. If you get an email offering you money or requesting your information you can pretty much guarantee that it is a phishing scam.
Sometimes deceptive websites make it seem as if they have provided you with a dream come true – you’ve won the lottery, or you’ve won a holiday, and all you need to do is deposit one dollar, or enter your personal details and it’s all sorted. The easiest way to spot false opportunities is the fact that they seem too good to be true. Banks like Nedbank, Standard Bank, ABSA and FNB don’t give away money, so if you receive a phishing email you should report it. That way they can put an end to hoax bank emails and make money online scams.