BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – Eswatini’s financial landscape has become the hunting ground for scammers employing sophisticated tactics to defraud unsuspecting Emaswati, particularly the elderly.
The Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE) has issued a warning about a new form of cybercrime where fraudsters exploit MTN MoMo or Eswatini Mobile’s e-Mali services to steal money.
According to information sourced from CBE’s Facebook page, it is stated that one prevalent tactic involves fake ‘accidental money transfer’ messages, luring their victims into a treacherous trap that could leave them financially devastated.
The CBE advised Emaswati to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect themselves from these fraudulent activities. The CBE warned people to resist the temptation to believe claims about mistaken money transfers.
Scammers, according to CBE, often pretend as victims themselves, using the pretext of a mistaken transfer to scam unsuspecting individuals into returning the funds. The bank also advised Emaswati to apply critical analysis by closely scrutinising the content of SMS messages, comparing them to previous communications from MoMo/e-Mali services.
CBE underscored the importance of utilising available resources to verify transactions, ultimately empowering citizens to detect potential scam.
Emaswati are also advised to review their balance, log in to your MoMo/e-Mali account, or reach out to MTN Eswatini/Eswatini Mobile directly to confirm the alleged transfer. Remaining informed about current balance can help people to identify suspicious activity and they were urged to protect their PINs to ensure that their MoMo/e-Mali PIN remains confidential at all times.
