Fraudsters prey on unsuspecting bank clients
By Natasha Jacha
The Forensic Department at the Bank Windhoek has been receiving an increasing number of complaints from clients regarding individuals calling them and pretending to be officials from Bank Windhoek.
According to Bank Windhoek’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Hayley Allen, these individuals are fraudsters who direct unsuspecting clients to transfer funds to them via EasyWallet transfer.
According to Allen the fraudsters call to inform clients that they are from Bank Windhoek and that they have either received funds or that they need to do a software or systems upgrade on their devices in order to gain access to the funds.
“The fraudsters will guide the client through an elaborate and complex process to activate the profile to receive the funds or to make the systems upgrade in order to receive the funds,” she added.
Allen said what is happening is that the unsuspecting client is unknowingly being directed to make a transfer of funds via CellPhone Banking or Internet Banking to the fraudster’s EasyWallet number.
“Bank Windhoek will never call a client or any other member of the public to receive funds, send funds or to release funds for any payments, including dividends or insurance premiums,” she warned.
Meanwhile, she urged clients who receive such calls to report it to the local police and the Bank Windhoek Forensic Department for investigation on telephone number 061-2991200.
