FNB Warns Against the Imposter Scam

WINDHOEK, MARCH 20 –  FNB Namibia wishes to once again warn the public to be careful as an ‘old’ scam has resurfaced. The so-called ‘imposter scam’, where fraudsters pretend to be from FNB Namibia and manipulate customers by asking them to perform an action on their cellphone, which leads to loss of money through e-wallet payments.

Ingrid Kahona-Katjiukua, FNB Forensics: “This is not a new scam, but every now and then we see it resurface because customers still fall prey to this scam.”

The scam works as follows:

1. The fraudster calls people at random and poses as a FNB employee enquiring about funds that need to be released for various reasons. Dividends, policy pay-outs, or rewards for long standing customers have been used as ruses in the past.
2. The call, in most cases, is placed to a landline and the customer is then requested to enter a code on their cellphone for release of funds.
3. This code is normally the cellphone banking string; *140*392# or *140*321# followed by what the fraudster then names as a verification code but is in fact the amount the customer is about to transfer to the fraudster – e.g. 4994 ultimately sending N$4,994.00.
Ingrid: “We urge customers to remain vigilant at all times – calls such these are NOT from FNB Namibia. The bank will never call a customer or a member of the public to release funds for dividends, policy pay-outs or for any form of receiving or sending money. We also do not require any ‘codes’ from a customer to release funds. Keep in mind that we will also never ask you to go through any steps on your cellphone.”

Ingrid advised customers to be alert when receiving calls from their banks and to rather practice extra safety precautions. “Take the caller’s details and phone the bank through the switchboard number to confirm that this is not a scam. When you suspect fraud or a scam, please call FNB on 061 299 2222/ 061 299 7764.” – FNB Namibia