THE police have warned of a new tactic to con citizens of their money by sourcing confidential information.
This time, swindlers use Google Meet voice call to contact unsuspecting people. Google Meet voice calls allow one to make direct audio-only calls or join video meetings.
To place a call on this application does not allow for the caller to have a cellphone number, but a Google account, internet connection and application or web browser.
This means that a person who receives a voice call on Google Meet will not see the caller’s contact number save for the name that the caller had used in his account.
In cases where this application had been used, victims said the caller’s name that appeared on the screen was FNB, accompanied by the bank’s logo.
According to some of the people who had received suspicious voice calls from the application, the male caller with an Indian-like accent identified himself as a bank employee.
He reportedly said he was calling from First National Bank (FNB) Mbabane branch.
According to the account holder, the caller then informed her that there had been a suspicious transaction from her account and that he was contacting her for assistance.
“When I told him that I did not make any transaction from my account, he proceeded to ask for my card number and its expiry date,” she said.
The woman said she did not give out the requested information but informed the caller that if there was any suspicious activity with her account, she would know.
The caller then cut off the call.
Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) Director of the Fraud and Commercial Unit Assistant Commissioner of Police Nicholus Jele confirmed that his office had received numerous reports of this tactic.
He said from what he had gathered so far, the callers were not Indians, but imitated the Asian accent.
“This is a new trend used by scammers to source card information. I have also heard that the caller uses an Asian accent but one can tell that these are Emaswati trying to change their accent,” he said. Jele said although there were no reports of cases where the scammers managed to steal money using this tactic, he feared that some citizens would fall for the scam solely based on the foreign accent that was used by the scammers.
“Some people may believe that the scammer genuinely works for the bank, panic and give out the card information which would in turn result in their loss of money,” said Jele.
He warned members of the public to be vigilant when receiving phone calls from anyone claiming to represent a bank.
He said no bank would request for such information over the phone. Meanwhile, FNB Eswatini Chief Marketing Officer Sibusile Dlamini said the bank was aware of an ongoing scam in which fraudsters use WhatsApp calls and Google Meet voice calls to impersonate bank employees and target unsuspecting customers.
She said the bank had received 30 reports linked to the scam, although no financial losses had been recorded at the time the incidents were reported.
Dlamini stressed that FNB had not started contacting customers through WhatsApp calls or Google Meet and urged customers not to share sensitive information such as PINs, one-time passwords (OTPs) or banking passwords with anyone.
“All customer queries should be directed to our official digital platforms and our toll-free number 800 6100,” she said.
The marketing officer added that after the reports were made, the bank issued warnings through SMS alerts and social media platforms to raise awareness about the scam and protect customers from falling victim.
She further advised customers who receive suspicious calls claiming to be from the bank to immediately end the call if they feel pressured or uneasy, verify requests through official FNB channels and promptly report suspected fraudulent activity to the bank.
“When in doubt, customers are encouraged to contact the bank through official customer service channels for confirmation,” she said.
