Cyber attackers are inviting users to click onto unknown
numbers or exposing users to phishing scams where the attackers deceive people
into providing sensitive data through fraudulent messages.
In an interview yesterday, national police spokesperson
Commissioner Paul Nyathi stated that authorities are working diligently to
apprehend the perpetrators.
“There is a rampant cyberattack targeting senior Government
officials, media personnel, and people across the country, where messages are
sent from unknown numbers, usually foreign numbers. The moment you click on a
link, you will be hacked.”
Hacking has become increasingly sophisticated in the
digital age. Cyber criminals exploit vulnerabilities in software and human
behaviour to gain unauthorised access to personal and financial information
once given access by the phone owner.
Phishing, a common tactic, involves deceiving individuals
into providing sensitive data through fraudulent emails or messages. With the
rise of mobile messaging platforms like WhatsApp, scammers have adapted their
strategies, creating urgent and convincing scenarios to manipulate users.
Comm Nyathi emphasised the need for the public to stay
alert and treat messages from unknown numbers with caution.
“The public should desist from opening links from unknown
sources, and as the police, we are using resources at our disposal to flush out
these suspects.”
Once scammers gain control of accounts, they solicit money
from the victim’s contacts, often pretending to be in a state of emergency.
On WhatsApp, scammers send urgent messages to every
contact, feigning a crisis and requesting financial assistance. On Facebook,
they reach out to every friend.
Several individuals have fallen prey to these scams. In one
instance, a top Government official had his phone hacked and the scammers sent
a message claiming to be in a dire financial situation.
“I’m trying to send some money to someone for treatment;
it’s not going through. I have issues with my account; can you help me send it
to the person’s account directly? I will refund it back immediately once my
transfer is active.”
The hacker created a sense of urgency, claiming to need
help for a medical treatment payment, but the message lacked specific details
about the treatment or the recipient.
While some recipients grew suspicious, others unfortunately
fell victim, with two individuals reportedly losing money, one sending US$250
and another transferring ZiG500.
The matter has been reported to the police. These scammers
allegedly use lost or stolen identity documents to register new SIM cards,
which they then employ to perpetrate cybercrimes. They often use foreign
numbers to send deceptive messages. The scammers employ many tactics, including
messages promising free data, such as “Click this link to get 50GB of free
data.” Herald
