Capitec Fraud Warning: ATM, Phone & SAPS Scams Surge in South Africa
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19 Jan Capitec fraud warning

Posted at 06:54h in Personal Safety & Security by
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  • Capitec has warned of a surge in increasingly sophisticated scams targeting South Africans in early 2026.
  • Customers have been alerted to ATM scams where criminals use distraction tactics and pose as helpful strangers to steal cards and PINs.
  • Clients are advised to cover the keypad when entering their PIN, refuse help from strangers, avoid predictable PINs, and never store PINs on their phones.
  • Lost or stolen cards should be stopped immediately via the Capitec banking app.
  • Phone scams remain a major concern, with fraudsters impersonating Capitec staff to “verify” information or claim suspicious account activity.
  • Capitec’s in-app call verification system shows a green banner for legitimate calls and a red banner for scams.
  • Customers should not rely on caller ID apps and should hang up if told the verification feature is not working.
  • Impersonation scams involving the South African Police Service are increasing, with criminals claiming there is a warrant for arrest and demanding payment.
  • SAPS will never ask for money, PINs, or banking details over the phone, nor instruct someone to log into their banking app.
  • Anyone receiving such a call should hang up and contact SAPS directly using an official number.


Billions of rands lost to digital banking fraud

  • TransUnion found that 59% of South African consumers were targeted by fraud attempts, while 12% became victims.
  • Common fraud methods include phishing, voice-based scams, and gift card fraud.
  • Only 16% of consumers signed up for identity monitoring after data breach notifications, while many felt unsure how to protect themselves online.
  • The South African Banking Risk Information Centre reported R2.72 billion lost to financial crime in 2024.
  • Digital banking fraud accounted for R1.89 billion of these losses, with incidents increasing by 86% year-on-year.
  • Banking app fraud made up more than 65% of digital fraud cases, with losses exceeding R1.2 billion.

Regulatory response

  • Financial Sector Conduct Authority commissioner Unathi Kamlana warned that unchecked digital fraud threatens trust in the financial system.
  • He emphasised the need for collaboration between banks, regulators, telecommunications providers, and law enforcement.
  • The FSCA has launched its Digital Banking Fraud Project, focusing on coordinated reporting, fraud mapping, real-time monitoring, disruption of criminal networks, and expanded consumer education.
  • Regulators have stressed that fraud is not only an operational issue, but a governance and conduct risk requiring attention at the highest levels of financial institutions.
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