News

World Cup prompts card skimmer awareness education

April 14, 2010

IT Web reports that the upcoming FIFA World Cup is prompting security officials in South Africa to work to raise awareness of ATM card skimmers and the havoc they can wreak.

Kalyani Pillay, CEO of the SA Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric), says the banking industry has formed an inter-bank forum that will focus specifically on bank crime related to the Cup.

"This is done with the understanding that any increase in consumer activity that emanates from busy periods of festivities such as major sporting events, or even Christmas, has the potential of increasing criminals' attempts to commit fraud."

She concludes that several initiatives have been initiated in this regard, one being the provision of card fraud awareness information to foreigners at strategic ports of entry and tourist hot spots.