Protecting Yourself from Scams

Phishing Emails and SMS (Smishing)

Phishing involves fraudulent messages designed to look like they are from trusted organisations — including banks, government agencies, and well-known companies. These messages typically contain a link to a fake website that mimics the legitimate one, asking you to enter your login credentials, card details, or personal information.

Warning signs of phishing include messages that create urgency or fear, such as "Your account has been suspended — verify now," generic greetings like "Dear Customer" instead of your name, slight misspellings in the sender's email address or URL, requests to click a link to "verify" or "update" your information, and attachments from unknown senders.

Impersonation Scams (Phone Calls)

Scammers may call pretending to be bank staff, police officers, government officials, or tax authorities. They often claim that your account has been compromised, that you owe money, or that you are under investigation. The goal is to pressure you into transferring money to a "safe" account or revealing your banking credentials.

Key facts to remember: the bank will never call you to ask for your password, PIN, or OTP. Police and government agencies do not request bank transfers over the phone. No legitimate authority will threaten you with arrest for not making an immediate payment. If in doubt, hang up and call the organisation back using their official published number.

Investment and Get-Rich-Quick Scams

These scams promise unusually high returns with little or no risk. They are promoted through social media advertisements, messaging apps, fake testimonials, and sometimes through people you know who have been deceived themselves. Common variations include cryptocurrency trading schemes, foreign exchange trading platforms, multi-level marketing disguised as investments, and "guaranteed" stock tips.

Any investment opportunity that guarantees returns, pressures you to act quickly, or requires you to recruit others to earn money should be treated with extreme caution. Always verify that the investment platform and the individuals involved are licensed by the relevant financial regulatory authority.

Love and Romance Scams

Romance scammers build emotional relationships through dating apps, social media, or messaging platforms over weeks or months before asking for money. Common requests include help with medical bills, travel expenses to visit you, or investment in a "business opportunity." They often have convincing backstories and may use stolen photos to create fake profiles.

Job Scams

Fake job offers may arrive via SMS, email, or messaging apps, often for work-from-home positions that seem too good to be true. These scams may ask you to pay an upfront "registration" or "training" fee, request your bank account details for "salary setup" before you start, involve receiving money into your account and transferring it elsewhere (which is money laundering), or offer high pay for minimal effort.

E-Commerce and Delivery Scams

These scams involve fake online stores, marketplace listings, or delivery notification messages. You may pay for goods that never arrive, receive counterfeit products, or be directed to a phishing site through a fake "missed delivery" notification that asks you to enter your details or pay a redelivery fee.

Digital Security Practices

• Never click on links in unsolicited emails or SMS messages claiming to be from your bank. Always navigate to the bank's website directly by typing the URL in your browser or using the official mobile app
• Enable two-factor authentication on all your banking and financial accounts
• Use unique, strong passwords for your banking accounts — do not reuse passwords from other websites or services
• Keep your devices updated with the latest operating system and security patches
• Install reputable antivirus software on your computers and avoid downloading apps from unofficial sources on your mobile devices
• Regularly review your account transactions and report any unfamiliar activity immediately

Communication Awareness

• Be sceptical of any unsolicited contact that requests personal information, banking details, or money
• Do not share your OTP, PIN, or password with anyone — bank staff will never ask for these
• If someone claiming to be from the bank calls you, hang up and call back on our official hotline number to verify
• Be cautious of messages from friends or family requesting urgent money transfers — their accounts may have been hacked. Verify by calling them directly on a known number
• Do not feel pressured to make immediate decisions. Legitimate organisations will give you time to consider

Transaction Safety

• Before transferring money to anyone you have not met in person, pause and consider whether the situation could be a scam
• Enable transaction alerts so you are immediately notified of all account activity
• Use the card lock feature when you are not actively using your card
• For online shopping, use credit cards rather than debit cards where possible, as credit cards offer stronger chargeback protections
• Verify the legitimacy of online stores by checking reviews, registration details, and secure checkout indicators (padlock icon and HTTPS in the URL)