SME BANK
Make more money with the bank that believes you can.

Fraud Prevention

Online Fraud Identity

Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated as fraudsters will stop at nothing to steal your money. Don't be caught out and always keep these tips in mind.

Phishing Fraud: Be aware and avoid becoming a victim
It is very easy to panic when you receive an email that says your account has been compromised. Fraudsters rely on this panic to ensure that their victims will react by clicking on links and entering their personal details to ensure that their money is secure. For this reason, whenever you receive an email, SMS or phone call that seems even slightly out of the norm, you should query it. Those five minutes could prevent you from becoming a victim of fraud. These tips will also come in handy:

  • Always check that you are on a secure website (watch out for "https" in the Internet Address bar at the top of your internet browser)
  • Always log off properly whenever you finish banking online
  • Never reply to phishing scams - rather forward them onto your bank
  • Never open attachments on emails claiming to come from your bank - they could contain spyware that could track your keystrokes and gather your personal information

Protect Yourself Online
There are a number of security measures that you can practice whenever you use the internet for online banking or shopping to ensure that you are not the victim of internet fraudsters.

Avoid online fraud attempts
Many of us use the internet on a daily basis – for anything from shopping for groceries and gadgets to auctions and online banking. Although most of our online interactions are secure, there is always a risk that we could open ourselves up to online fraud attempts, such as identity theft.

Measures to improve online security
It is vital that you are aware of some measures that you can take to make you more secure online, such as:

  • Always keep your personal access information secure, and change your PIN and passwords regularly.
  • Never open on a link or an attachment within an email claiming to be from SME Bank as this may link to a fraudulent website or download a virus or keylogging software that
  • Be aware that phishing scams have also been received through instant messaging systems such as GoogleTalk or Skype; as well as through Social Networking websites such as Facebook. When in doubt of the authenticity of a link or a claim, simply don't click it.
  • Don't bank or shop online when using a public terminal such as those found in internet cafes, hotels, coffee shops or student labs. Keylogging software could be present on the computer, and will send all your personal information through to the fraudster, who could then use this information to clear out your account.
  • Before you bank online, ensure that you are actually within the secure internet banking website. Once you visit https://smebank.com.na and click on the Internet Banking link, you will be redirected to an available banking server. Once there, check the browser address. It should begin with 'https://' not 'http://'
  • When leaving your computer, always end the current session by closing your browser window, and never leave your computer unattended during an Internet Banking session.