{"id":83017,"date":"2017-07-18T15:48:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T14:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzzsouthafrica.com\/?p=83017"},"modified":"2020-05-21T12:31:33","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T11:31:33","slug":"sim-swap-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzzsouthafrica.com\/sim-swap-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"This Is What MTN Wants You To Know About SIM Swap Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"
South African telecommunications service provider, MTN, has issued a note of warning to its subscribers\u00a0to beware of the latest scam doing the rounds in the country. It is called the sim swap scam.<\/p>\n
With mobile phones becoming a prevalent tool for banking transactions, criminals have started seizing control of phone numbers to\u00a0get into people’s bank account.<\/p>\n
As part of the scam, a supposed MTN call centre agent contacts customers and requests their security details claiming to be blocking the processing of a SIM swap request that was made without the customer’s consent.<\/p>\n
The scammers will then use the responses\u00a0of the customer obtained during the call to perform a fraudulent SIM Swap and possibly use it to access customer’s\u00a0banking details.<\/p>\n
In a statement released on Monday, MTN South Africa said it will not contact customers from its call centre to block the processing of a SIM swap request.<\/p>\n
MTN in the statement highlighted the key aspects of the SIM swap process that customers should be aware of in order not to fall victim of the Sim Swap Scam.<\/p>\n
Hence when performing a\u00a0SIM swap note the following:<\/p>\n
“MTN is in a continued quest to combat fraud and scams, again we urge our customers not to respond to unsolicited calls and requests for their security details from an unknown number.\u201d the company stated.<\/p>\n
Read Also:\u00a0Absa Online: How To Avoid Falling Prey To The Scams<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n South Africans are therefore reminded that scammers try to transfer funds linked to online bank accounts through ” SIM swap,” the process of cancelling the SIM card linked to a victim’s number and activating a new one on a phone in their control.<\/p>\n This means all calls and texts to the victim’s number are routed to the criminal’s phone, so they can activate codes or authorizations needed for online bank transfers, such as a one-time pin or password.<\/p>\n The sim Swap was introduced by the giant network to enable customers that have problems with their lines either because they have lost it, it has been stolen, or damaged to be able to retrieve it. While it can be done in the offices of the network or their designated spots with the person needing the sim swap being present, it could as well be carried out through the call centre as earlier pointed out.<\/p>\n There are different sim swap options that are available to cover for different categories of customers; prepaid and postpaid. While prepaid customers are required to visit an MTN store with an identity document before the process can be activated, prepaid customers are given three different options: via a USSD code, call centre, or by visiting an MTN store too.<\/p>\n Different situations for the real MTN Sim Swap for\u00a0MTN PayAsYouGo, MTN Contract or LTE SIM:<\/strong><\/p>\n While for the first situation you will need to\u00a0\u00a0Buy an MTN PayAsYouGo starter pack before you can continue with the process, for the second what you will need to get is the\u00a0MTN PayAsYouGo starter pack.<\/p>\n See Also:\u00a0Irregular Expenditure At IPID Skyrockets By 740%<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n