More scammers cloning e-commerce sites to steal from South Africans

One in 10 South Africans fell victim to fraud in the second quarter of 2024, with phishing attacks accounting for 28% of these incidents, according to daily deals website OneDayOnly.co.za. 

Phishing entails scammers impersonating reputable businesses or individuals to steal sensitive information, financial data and passwords.

OneDayOnly.co.za says phishing tactics have evolved significantly, making them increasingly sophisticated and dangerous. 

The site's brand and campaign manager, Jonathan Spencer, warned on Wednesday of a concerning rise in fraudulent activities, where criminals create fake social media profiles that lure consumers with enticing offers of huge discounts and deals.

“These profiles then direct victims to meticulously cloned websites. Unsuspecting individuals, believing they are interacting with legitimate businesses, place orders and provide their personal information, including credit card details. These websites are so expertly crafted that they fool 53% of people into believing they are real,” he said.

Spencer said the e-commerce sector was plagued by criminals exploiting the surge in online shopping to target consumers. He said 68.4% of financial phishing attempts in South Africa occurred through fake online stores. “Not only do these ploys harm consumers, but also damage the reputations of trusted brands and ultimately impact the broader economy.” 

He added that the consequences of falling prey to these schemes could be devastating. “Stolen personal information can be exploited to open bank and retail accounts or to commit insurance, medical aid and unemployment insurance fraud. In some cases, criminals impersonate victims to gain unauthorised access to bank accounts and drain funds.” 

Referring to the latest Online Scams in Africa Report by KnowBe4, Spencer said financially, the impact was severe, with 40% of people reporting that they had lost about R1,833, while 30% were defrauded of between R1,833 and R18,329.

KnowBe4, a security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, undertook a survey into the growing problem of online scams and how these threats are affecting people across Africa. The survey spanned 800 individuals in South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt and Mauritius. Nearly 40% of respondents said they had fallen for an online scam. 

Spencer suggested consumers could protect themselves from spoofing (the creation of fake websites) and angler phishing (the impersonation of trusted sources on social media), by using free online tools like WHOIS to check the age of a website, and Google’s safe browsing function to assess a website’s trustworthiness. 

Should businesses discover their website had been cloned, Spencer suggested they could implement several countermeasures. “One immediate step is to block the clone from accessing the original site. Additionally, identifying the fake website’s hosting service, domain provider, and/or content delivery network (CDN) allows businesses to submit a domain takedown request, accompanied by evidence such as screenshots detailing the cloning attack.”

He urged businesses and individuals who have fallen victim to website cloning to file a report with their local police. “Under the Cybercrimes Act, offenders can face up to 15 years' imprisonment and/or a hefty fine.” 

TimesLIVE