Naspers warns public about scam using company’s name

Naspers on Tuesday warned South Africans about a scam, in which criminals are trying to dupe people out of their money using the company’s name.

The JSE-listed Internet and media giant said in a statement that the scam, which specifically targets South Africans, offers victims an e-book via instant messaging services such as WhatsApp and Telegram. This e-book describes Naspers as a “registered online trading platform”.

“As part of the scam, fraudsters allege that targeted recipients will be assigned a trade broker who will trade on their behalf if they deposit cash into a third-party account,” it said. “The returns promised are very enticing — for example, a 100% return on investment in an hour. Once money is transferred into the account, the funds disappear.”

Naspers urged the public to “always use extreme caution when receiving calls, text messages or e-mails from an unknown source, particularly when they include requests to part with money”.

“Phishing e-mails, texts and calls can be very convincing, with company logos and banners copied from websites,” it said.

It said people should never respond to unsolicited calls, text messages or e-mails “no matter how official they may seem”. They should also use “extreme caution when clicking on links and attachments included in unsolicited e-mails, even if they appear to be from a company or person with whom you do business”.

“If you believe you have responded to a fraudulent e-mail, contact your bank immediately so they can take steps to protect your account and your identity,” Naspers said.  — © 2019 NewsCentral Media