Security and fraud awareness - protect yourself
Protect your personal information and prevent fraud
What's personal information?
Any piece of information that - on its own or collectively - can uniquely identify you:
- Name and surname
- Identity/Passport number
- Cellphone number
- Bank account number, for example, cheque account
- Credit card number and CVV (the three digits on the back of your credit card)
- Proof of income, for example, payslip or bank account statements
- Health information
You, or who you share your personal information with, need to protect it to prevent these:
- Phishing - criminals send emails claiming to come from a genuine company to try and trick you into disclosing personal information
- ATM shoulder surfing - criminals can steal your debit card PIN while transacting at an ATM
- Social engineering - criminals impersonate bank personnel and smooth talk you to share information, which gives the criminals access to bank accounts
- Dumpster diving - criminals trawl through your waste bins for bank statements or policy documents to commit crime
- ID Theft - criminals can steal and assume your identity, buying goods in your name and leaving you in debt
Tips to avoid these risks
- Avoid leaving your personal information lying around in a public place, for example, an airport, the Gautrain
- First confirm the need before giving personal information to anyone
- Carry only credit cards or membership cards you need
- Before discarding invoices, statements or documents containing sensitive information, tear them up or burn them
- Choose strong passwords: Include numbers, special characters, upper case and lower case
- Change passwords and PINs often
- When internet banking, check you're on the legitimate website - don't click on a link in an e-mail, but rather type in the web address and look for the secure lock
Fallen prey?
- Document it: The day, time and location
- Report it: Immediately to the police and the relevant financial institutes
Rewards for reporting fraud
Reporting fraud to your Scheme
Discovery may reward whistle-blowers, for valid information provided, which result in the recovery of money lost due to fraud.
You may remain anonymous if you prefer:
Toll-free phone number | 0800 00 45 00 |
Toll-free fax | 0800 00 77 88 |
discovery@tip-offs.com | |
E-mail the fraud department directly | forensics@discovery.co.za |
Post | Freepost DN298, Umhlanga Rocks 4320 |
Prevent fraud on your membership
- Ask for a copy of the claim: This will enable you to make sure the service took place
- Check your statements regularly: Make sure claims paid match the services you and your family received
- Keep your details safe: Do not lend your membership card to anyone. If they're not your beneficiary, they're not entitled to benefits.
- Beware of 'make a plan': Do not accept any proposals offering to offset co-payments or levies on any service or item.