Internet scam claims victim in South

A KEETMANSHOOP businessman has fallen victim to a new internet banking scam.

The businessman, who preferred not to be named, said the internet banking scammers intercepted his one-time internet password and transferred N$180 000 from his Standard Bank account to an Absa Bank account in South Africa. According to the businessman, the money transfer occurred on Friday when he clicked on a link after opening an e-mail sent by Standard Bank the previous day.’The e-mail look genuine and authentic,’ said the businessman. The businessman told The Namibian that Standard Bank recovered the money after he reported the internet fraud. ‘I could have lost thousands of dollars if I had not detected the lost money in the shortest possible time and reported it to the bank immediately,’ the visibly relieved gentleman said yesterday. A senior officer at the local Standard Bank confirmed the internet fraud to The Namibian. A forensic officer, who declined to be named because he his not at liberty to speak to the media, warned Standard Bank customers not to open any mails allegedly sent by the bank. ‘Despite warnings appearing on computer screens when customers log-in on their internet banking accounts, some customers ignored these and become victims of the internet banking scam,’ the forensic officer said. The forensic officer said no commercial bank would ask you to verify your personal identification number (PIN) in an e-mail.He said that once criminals have your one-time internet password, they can use it in combination with your account log-on details to transfer money out of your account. He said the bank only refunds customers losing money through these scams if no negligence on their part is proven.luqman@namibian.com.na