Zuko Komisa
- The festive season sees a dramatic spike in scam activity across South Africa, with fraudsters exploiting increased spending and travel through fake courier, bank, and rental schemes.
- Mmathebe Zvobwo, Truecaller’s Director of Market Development for South Africa, confirmed the seasonal surge, labelling the country a hotspot for these scams.
- Consumers are urged to utilise tools like AI-powered scam detection and Verified Business Caller ID to protect themselves from the rise in fraud calls and messages.
The joyous festive season brings with it an alarming spike in scam activity across South Africa, according to consumer protection experts.
As citizens travel, spend more, and expect deliveries, fraudsters exploit the chaos of the holiday season with schemes ranging from fake courier messages and bank impersonation calls to bogus holiday rental deals and competition fraud.
Kaya Biz with Gugulethu Mfuphi spoke to Mmathebe Zvobwo, Truecaller’s Director of Market Development for South Africa, who issued a warning, noting that the country becomes a particular hotspot for fraudsters during this period.
Zvobwo detailed the most prevalent scams targeting consumers and explained how the public can protect themselves from this annual surge in fraud.
She highlighted that tools such as Truecaller’s AI-powered scam detection, Verified Business Caller ID, and community-driven reporting are now crucial for helping millions of users confidently identify and avoid fraudulent calls.
Listen to the conversation here:
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