Bank phishing emails are widespread in South Africa, with criminals posing as bank employees in an attempt to gain access to a victim’s account.
The phishing emails typically contain a threat or a promise – such as: “Click here to reactivate your online banking”, or “You have a pending payment waiting, click here to access it”.
The emails may also come from an ostensibly-legitimate email address – “yourname@yourbank.co.za” – and look like an official communication from the bank the victim is a customer of.
Clicking on a link in these emails may install malware on a victim’s PC, or take them to a fake banking website – which will capture their bank account details when entered.
Once a victim’s bank account has been accessed, money is paid out to an account set up by the perpetrator.