Once upon a time, marketing used to be all about showing your customers how your products and services could help them. These days, however, the ever-present threat from cybercriminals means that leading organisations are using their marketing messages to help their customers protect themselves online.
Over the last year, there has been an increase in phishing emails and other cybersecurity scams targeting South African consumers, with many of those new scams related to Covid-19. With that in mind, the short-term lender Wonga has been proactively contacting customers to warn them of the type of cybersecurity threats they should look out for.
So, what are some of the cyber threats that businesses are using defensive marketing to warn their customers against?
Phishing or smishing attacks
These attacks use fake emails (phishing) or fake SMS messages (smishing) to dupe recipients into handing over personal information that is then used to defraud them. Phishing emails can take a range of forms but often the scammer poses as a reputable organisation or a business that the customer knows and trusts. As an example, the trusted consumer protection site Money Saving Expert in the UK has been warning its users of emails that are being sent to the public by a copycat firm that falsely use the Money Saving Expert name.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, there has been a surge in phishing and smishing attacks, with many purporting to be from government departments and even the World Health Organisation, often claiming to link through to vital coronavirus information. Businesses and organisations are using defensive marketing to make the public aware of this type of threat and to tell them how to report it.
Covid-19 contact testing scam
Defensive marketing also plays an important part in making the public aware of a common Covid-19 testing scam. This scam involves an SMS or email being sent to a potential victim advising them that they have been in close contact with someone with Covid-19 and asking them for a payment of between R300 and R400 for a Covid-19 test. However, it’s a scam. The Department of Health in South Africa conducts all contact testing in South Africa and it’s always free of charge.
Non-profit organisations (NPO) scam
The Department of Social Development has also used defensive marketing to warn NPOs of a scam that targets them. It claims to convert NPO certificates to non-governmental organisation (NGO) certificates so they can qualify for international funding potentially worth millions of rands. However, it’s a scam. The fraudsters charge their victims for the service and use the confidential information involved in the process, such as proof of residence, ID and bank account details, to access bank accounts and steal money.
Fast-tracked Covid funding
The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) has used defensive marketing to warn South Africa’s small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) about a Covid funding scam. The scam, which claims to provide quick funding for businesses that are struggling due to the coronavirus, asks for a payment to be made before funding can be provided. However, as the DSBD stresses, it never charges a fee for its services, so if you receive a message asking for payment before funding can be awarded, it’s always a scam.
Are there any scams you’ve been warned against that we’ve not covered in this list? Then please share them in the comments below.
