NSFAS Stops Communication Via SMS Due To Fraudulent Activity

Breaking News: NSFAS Stops Communication Via SMS Due To Fraudulent Activity

 

What this means

On 3 January 2019 NSFAS released a statement that all communication via SMS and Email will be stopped, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,  due to SMS scams. It has come to their attention that over the past 2 weeks students have been sent fraudulent SMS’s requesting an update of student’s account information by clicking an embedded link.

 

The SMS’s or emails are designed to appear as if they were sent from the NSFAS contact centre and aims to compromise personal confidential information. SMS’s received following this incident will be fraudsters and not NSFAS. Ignore all funding SMS’s to protect your personal information.

 

NSFAS urges all students to use myNSFAS Online Self-Service Portal to check on their application status and to communicate directly with NSFAS.

 

Statement

An official statement by NSFAS Administrator, Dr. Randall Carolissen says:

“We are seeing an increase in fraudulent activity, possibly due to the increase in the number of applications for 2019. We advise every student that NSFAS will never ask for your account details, password, PIN or OTP over the phone or via email,”.

 

Tips on how to stay safe

To protect yourself online here are some tips:

  1. Never reveal personal information over the phone if you did not initiate the call. Call the company back on their official number.
  2. Always be suspicious of links in SMS’s and/or Emails. Rather go to the official website.

 

How to identify a phishing SMS:

  1. The SMS could contain informal chat style including spelling mistake
  2. It could be the first time you receive an SMS from that phone number
  3. They could request personal information either by asking you to respond to the text or a link to an unofficial website
  4. They could request, some if not all, information like account information, PIN, password and/or OTP.

 

Precautions

All communication from NSFAS with it’s applicant will be via the myNSFAS Online Self-Service Portal or the NSFAS contact centre. NSFAS has improved there call centre verification process as a precaution and security questions will be asked to identity of the person being called. All notices will be posted on the official NSFAS website www.nsfas.org.za or the official Twitter page @mynsfas.

 

Last Updated: 4 January, 2019