Advanced fee or 419 scams can take many forms – scammers often pose as well-known lenders or credit providers who promise generous loans with extremely low interest rates, even to blacklisted consumers.
Under the National Credit Act, no credit provider is allowed to ask for upfront fees, so these scams should be easy to spot. Despite this, lenders have had an influx of complaints from people who claim to have paid ‘legal, administration, banking or insurance’ fees to secure a loan and then never receiving any money in return.
Wonga believes that when it comes to scams, prevention is easier than cure, stressing the need to educate consumers. As such, in partnership with The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS), we have produced a digital leaflet that is freely available. Download it here.
We urge people and organisations to download the leaflet and use it for their own purposes, to help spread the word and encourage everyone to be #ScamWiseSA.
If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, or your identity has been compromised in any way, contact the SAFPS to get additional protection. Their services are free to the public. SMS the word “ProtectID” to 43366 and they will contact you.
