ABSA issues out a warning of a new email phishing scam

ABSA warns customers of a new email phishing scam. Cybercriminals are using the bank’s new logo to lure unsuspecting victims.

SANDTON, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 11: CEO Maria Ramos during the Absa rebranding launch held at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on July 11, 2018 in Sandton, South Africa. Barclays Africa changed its name back to Absa, in a rebranding aimed at underlining its South African roots as Britain’s Barclays gradually retreats from Africa, ending a 100-year history. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Alon Skuy)

ABSA, after many decades, has just gone through a successful makeover. The bank has now taken it upon itself to warn banking customers about a new email phishing scam that is preying on unsuspecting victims around the country.

How cybercriminals use the new ABSA logo to scam users

The bank’s new logo has become a somewhat useful tool for cybercriminals to attack users’ banking information. It is so elaborate that an unsuspecting eye could easily overlook the glaring irregularities in the email.

The email that tricks most customers comes from geien0080smtp@nokwi.co.za, but it states that Maria Ramos, ABSA’S CEO, is its username.

The subject of the email reads Welcome to a new era in banking, and when customers open it, they are met with the counterfeit version of ABSA’s brand CI.

The phishing email that is circulating around many ABSA customers’ mailboxes / IOL

The body of the email speaks in the tone ABSA are currently using to communicate the brand’s new look to its customers. However, the call-to-action that completes the scam is a prompt to have customers view their ‘new Absa eStatements’.

Of course, this is an HTML file that takes the customer to a fake website where they will be asked to enter their personal information (ID number and other banking information) before the page crashes with their information lost in the hands of the scammers.

ABSA warns customers to be more vigilant with their banking information

ABSA has since come out to stress to its customers the utmost importance of being very careful with their banking information. They stated that it has never been in the bank’s practices to issue external links to complete transactions in any of their email communication with customers.

The bank added that

“Cybercriminals such as these employ increasingly sophisticated methods to access customer internet banking information and email phishing are but one of the methods they use.”

Customers have been urged to delete any message seemingly from ABSA that prompt you to click a link.

Also, they have encouraged people to contact the ABSA Fraud Hotline immediately on 0860 557 557 should they suspect that they may be a victim of any type of fraud