How do I report an online scam in South Africa?
Phone your bank first so they can try to stop the money, then open a case at your local SAPS station and ask for it to go to the cybercrime unit. You can also give information to Crime Stop on 08600 10111, and report investment scams to the FSCA.
Reporting matters even if the amount is small: it helps the bank, the platform and the police, and it can link your case to others by the same scammer. SABRIC, the banks' crime information centre, works with SAPS and the banks on this kind of fraud.
Step by step
- Phone your bank's fraud line straight away. If you paid by EFT, report it as fraud and ask them to try to stop the money in the account that received it.
- Keep everything: screenshots of the chats, the profile, the number, the bank account details, proofs of payment and links.
- Open a case at your local SAPS station. Explain that it's online fraud and ask for it to be referred to the cybercrime unit. Take your evidence, with dates and amounts, and write down the case number.
- Give the case number to your bank.
- If you have information about the scammer, you can also call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
- If it was an investment scam, report it to the FSCA. Report the profile on the platform where you chatted.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a lawyer to open a case?
- No. Anyone can open a case at a SAPS station.
- I'm embarrassed to talk about it. Is it worth it?
- Yes. Scams fool people of every age and profession. Reporting helps stop the scammer.
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