Naspers Group, the largest Internet and media company in Africa has issued a fraud alert to all its shareholders and the general public.
In a statement released by the company, the said it is “aware of a scam targeting members of the South African public. The scam purports to come from Naspers representatives and aims to defraud people of their money”.
“The fraudsters imply that the targeted recipients will benefit from trades in Naspers shares made on their behalf if they deposit cash into a 3rd party account. 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”.
The company warned people to always use extreme caution when receiving calls, text messages or emails from an unknown source, particularly when they include requests to part with money. Phishing emails, texts and calls can be very convincing, with company logos and banners copied from websites.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of a phishing scam:
- Never respond to an unsolicited call, text message or email no matter how official it may seem.
- Use extreme caution when clicking on links and attachments included in unsolicited emails, 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 email, contact your bank immediately so they can take steps to protect your account and your identity.
Naspers is the parent company of DSTV, OLX, majority owner of Konga, Takealot, Tencent, Mail.ru and other tech companies across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
