Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) urges South Africans to be cautious of the fact that social media and dating apps are a focus for fraudsters and scammers who are increasingly using romance scams and social engineering to perpetrate fraud and scams.
Social engineering is the tactic of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving a victim in order to gain control over a computer system, or to steal personal and financial information. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information.
"Technology is playing an increased role in the majority of the reported fraud instances," says Nazia Karrim, Head of Product Development at the SAFPS, "social engineering is becoming a reality of everyday life and has dire consequences. The public needs to be aware of this growing threat."
