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As older South Africans increasingly use digital services, loved ones can help them spot the tricks behind today’s scams
“Hi Ma, this is my new number.”, looks like an ordinary WhatsApp message. One that could easily be followed by a request for money, a supposed family emergency that requires some personal details or a link to “verify” something. The message may even display a profile picture that looks exactly like a child, grandchild, another trusted family member or even a friend.
As more senior citizens use smartphones, messaging platforms and digital banking services in their everyday lives, fraud prevention and awareness needs to keep pace. The reality is that fraudsters do not always need to hack a banking profile to get someone to part with their money. Often, they simply need to sound convincing enough to make someone act before checking.
“Fraudsters don’t necessarily need to access someone’s bank account to get to someone’s money. They manipulate people into compromising sensitive information such as their card and CVV number or convince them to make a payment to reverse alleged fraud. This is done by creating a sense of trust, fear or urgency,” says Ettienne Fourie, Head of Fraud for Retail and Business Banking at FNB.
”The technology may vary, whether it’s a phone call, SMS, banking app or messaging platform, but the tactic is often the same.”
Consider some of the messages that have become almost part of everyday digital life:
- “Hi Gogo, I lost my phone. Please save this number.”
- “Your bank account will be blocked. Click here to verify your details.”
- “You have received a payment. Please provide the OTP to release it.”
- “There has been a change to your pension fund or investment, please enter your card details to verify that it is you.”
- “You have outstanding traffic fines, please pay them now using your card to avoid prosecution”
These messages often don’t look suspicious. Fraudsters use familiar names, logos, profile pictures or language designed to create trust combined with an element of urgency.
Adding to the challenge, technology is making scams more convincing. AI-generated phishing messages as well voice-cloning and deep-fake video generation tools are increasingly being used to impersonate trusted individuals and organisations.
The result is that recognising fraud is no longer about spotting obvious red flags. It is about taking a moment to verify before acting.
Why payment days can create opportunities for fraudsters
Millions of South Africans rely on social grants, including more than 4 million recipients of the Older Persons Grant. Criminals often exploit the predictability of payment dates by sending messages about grant payments, beneficiary verification or account updates.
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) regularly advises beneficiaries to use official channels when checking payment information and to be cautious of anyone requesting personal information.
Whether it’s a fake grant-related message, a fake delivery notification, a bogus competition or a relative supposedly needing urgent help, the goal is often the same: to get the victim to act as a matter of urgency before checking.
And the scale of the problem is significant. The latest annual banking crime statistics from the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) show that losses from digital banking crime across the various banks increased to R2.4 billion in 2025, with more than 70% of reported digital banking losses linked to banking-app-related crime.
The family can be part of the safety net
This is where children, grandchildren and other family members can make a practical difference. The answer is not to tell Gogo to stop using WhatsApp or discourage older family members from banking digitally. Instead, families can make “pause and check” a normal part of their digital habits.
To help elders stay protected, start by teaching them these three rules:
- Don’t rush because someone says it’s urgent: A message saying “please do this now”, “your account will be blocked” or “I need the money immediately” should be the main reason to pause and verify the information, not a reason to hurry. If the request is supposedly from your bank, open your banking app yourself or contact the bank using a trusted number. If it is from a family member, call the number you already have saved rather than replying to the new one.
- Keep your security information strictly private: PINs, passwords, CVVs and OTPs should never be shared with someone who contacts you unexpectedly. It doesn’t matter whether the person sounds professional, knows your name or claims to be calling from your bank. If someone asks for confidential security information, stop the interaction and verify independently. Elders can also use the security and fraud-reporting tools available on the FNB App to help identify suspicious activity and report concerns quickly. FNB customers can report suspected fraud via the FNB App or contact the FNB Fraud Operations Centre on 087 575 9444.
- Normalise getting a second opinion: Families can agree that if something feels unusual, anyone can call someone they trust before acting. That could be as simple as a grandchild saying: “Gogo, if you get a strange message about money, send it to me first and we’ll check it together.” We need to make it easier for people to say, ‘I’m not sure about this, let me check,’ without feeling embarrassed. Asking for a second opinion is not a sign that you cannot manage your money; it is a sensible fraud-prevention habit,” says Fourie.
- The goal is confidence, not fear: Digital banking and messaging have become part of everyday life for people of all ages. The answer to combatting increasingly sophisticated scams is not to make seniors afraid of technology. It is to make checking just as familiar as clicking. For families, the message is simple: don’t rush, don’t share security information and verify anything unusual through a trusted channel. The most effective defence against modern scams is often a simple pause before acting. That could be as simple as making sure a parent or grandparent knows there is always someone they can call and ask: “Does this look right to you?”
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