- Scammers steal millions of rands from unsuspecting victims every year in South Africa.
- Getting your money back after you’ve been scammed or swindled is difficult, but knowing how to act in the aftermath is vital.
- Cancelling your cards, alerting your bank, and reaching out to the relevant authorities and organisations will give you the best chance of getting some money back.
- And reaching out for emotional support in the aftermath of the crime can also be a crucial step towards recovery.
- Here’s how to respond if you’ve been conned, scammed, or swindled in South Africa for the best chance of getting your money back.
- For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
If a con artist has swindled you out of money in South Africa, you’re not alone – in fact, you’re likely in a family of millions.
Collectively, South Africans lost more than R1.5 billion in banking and card fraud alone in 2020, according to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC). Include other scams in the mix, and those victims that are too ashamed to report it, and the number is likely to be significantly higher.
For as long as there’s been money, con-artists have found new ways to commit fraud. Whether you’ve been targeted directly in a phishing scam, had your card skimmed, been misled by a spouse or partner, or were the victim of a SIM swap, it’s a profoundly personal crime that leaves unsure how, or if, to respond.
Central to this confusion and…
