MBABANE – As scammers continue to find new ways of targeting unsuspecting mobile users, MTN Customer Education representative Siboniso Dlamini has urged customers to remain vigilant and protect their personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
Dlamini said scammers often take advantage of people’s panic, particularly when they are trying to regain access to important platforms such as WhatsApp.
“Most people will panic and stress when they lose access to WhatsApp because they want to access all their friends and family,” he explained.
He warned customers against sharing sensitive information, including PINs and one-time passwords (OTPs), with anyone, regardless of how convincing the request may appear.
Addressing the common question of whether WhatsApp can be hacked, Dlamini said customers can expose themselves to scammers when they willingly share confidential information such as OTPs and PINs.
“Do not share your OTPs. You don’t share your PINs either. That’s also another thing,” he stressed.
Dlamini also cautioned customers about fraudulent money rewards and competitions. He said people should be suspicious when they receive messages claiming that they have won large amounts of money in competitions they never entered.
For example, a customer may receive a message claiming that they have won E5,000 from MTN. Instead of immediately following the instructions, Dlamini advised customers to stop and assess whether the message is legitimate.
“When you start following those links, you’re giving out your information, you’re giving out your ID number, you’re giving out so many things,” he warned.
One of his strongest recommendations is simple: do not click suspicious links.
Dlamini encouraged customers to adopt a “stop and think” approach whenever they receive unexpected messages, links or requests for personal information.
“First thing, when you want to do this, you stop and you think. Verify if you have to verify. If you are not really sure if this is related to MTN, or if it’s a bank or any other organisation, verify,” he advised.
Customers should contact the relevant organisation through its official channels instead of responding directly to suspicious messages.
Dlamini further urged people to report scam attempts. Reporting such incidents can help protect other customers who may receive the same fraudulent message.
“When you report, you are protecting the next person. It could be a family member, it could be a brother, it could be a sister, it could be a friend,” he said.
He also encouraged people to educate their friends and family members, particularly elderly relatives, who may be more vulnerable to certain types of scams.
Dlamini’s advice is straightforward: do not share your PINs or OTPs, do not click suspicious links, do not be tempted by unsolicited rewards, stop and think before responding, verify information when unsure, and report suspected scams.
By taking these simple precautions and sharing scam awareness with others, customers can help create a safer digital environment for themselves, their families and the wider community.
Discussion about this post