Africhange Fraud Awareness

Here at Africhange, we believe that it is our responsibility to protect our users from fraud and our system from being used as a channel for fraudulent activities. 

Managing and preventing fraud risks is one of our key objectives and because we also have a reputation to protect, Africhange will take strong actions against any and every form of scam.

But we can’t do it alone, we need you to also work with us towards preventing any form of scam. Don’t fall victim; stay alert.

Here are some tips on how to spot the signs of a scam:

Romance Scam: 

Here, the scammers fish online for “romantic relationships”, they take their time to build this relationship, and they work to establish and build trust and this can take several months of chatting, calls, sharing of “pictures” etc. 

After trust has been established, scammers gradually begin to ask their victims for money for different things ranging from hospital bills of a loved one, rent, travel expenses, school fees, etc. 

If you ever have a need to look for love online, please be on the alert for signs that may signify that the person on the other end may not exactly be who they say they are. 

Online purchase scam:

Scammers often pose as online retailers using fake websites or by creating fake ads on real websites. Ads on items such as cars, hair, cell phones, event tickets, etc.  

While there are many real online sellers out there, unfortunately, scammers can use the anonymous nature of the internet to rip off unsuspecting shoppers, Be careful when sending money in response to an offer on the internet.

Advance fee scam:

Scammers pose as legitimate companies and lure their victims into paying fees in anticipation of receiving something of greater value, like a loan, gift, contract, job, grant, etc.  The victim sends money to the scammer using a money transfer service but then receives nothing in return. This scam also involves such things as the sale of products or services, holidays getaway, prizes, investment offers and lottery winnings. These things never existed, it was made up to just get the victim to pay. 

Phishing:

Phishing is a very common way of obtaining a victim’s online banking details. This is when you receive an email asking you to click on a like or button. These links could be in the form of clicking an attachment, enabling macros in Word documents, updating a password, responding to a social media connection request.

The links in these emails take you to fake online banking websites where your banking information is obtained by the scammers which they can use to access your account. These emails can also be used to infect your computer with viruses, Trojans and spyware.

Some characteristics of phishing emails are:

• An Unfamiliar Tone or Greeting

• Grammar and Spelling Errors

• Inconsistencies in Email Addresses, Links & Domain Names

• Threats or a Sense of Urgency

• Suspicious Attachments.

• There's a catch

• You are asked for sensitive information

Employment scam:

The victim responds to a job posting and is employed for a non-existent job and sent a fake check for the job. The check amount will exceed the victim’s expenses charge and the victim is required to send the remaining funds back to the scammers using a money transfer service. 

Who is likely to fall victim to fraud?

There is no exact way to know which user is being exposed to fraud but some of the typical indicators that a person is being exposed to are;

• Elderly people: All ages are being contacted by fraudsters today, but an elderly person is more likely to fall victim to fraud.

• Foreigners.

• Retired, unemployed.

• Looking for love/relationship.

• Sending purpose-Bill payments, Payments of goods/services such as lawyer fees or
  customs fees and paying for material/vehicles such as tractors, cars or gold.

And many others. 

Tips to protect yourself:

Here are some important tips to protect yourself and possibly stop fraudsters. 

• Do not send money to someone you do not personally know or totally trust. 

• Do not send money in order to get something in return, like for a gift, job, or a loan.

• Do not believe an emergency story from anyone, especially someone that claims to know you without verifying if they are truly who they say they are.

• Think, ask questions, research before you proceed. If an offer sounds too good to be true, chances are; it’s probably not true.

• Beware of opening attachments and clicking links in emails or texts that you are not sure about.

• Be aware that there is no protection against loss due to a fraudulent money transfer and Africhange will not take any responsibility for that.

If you detect any fraudulent activity

If you believe you detected an attempt or a case of fraud, please immediately report it to us at support@africhange.com for immediate action. 

Say No to fraud!