Criminals Threaten Customers into Sharing Passwords

19 January 2025

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA— FNB notes with regret the rising instances of people being robbed of their funds while under threat of violence from criminals.

Where such criminal incidents are reported, FNB undertakes rigorous investigation, partnering with law enforcement to ensure any information relative to these crimes is shared with investigators immediately.

At FNB we are committed to ensuring the highest level of security for your accounts internally. As part of our ongoing efforts to protect your financial information and your funds, we continuously enhance security protocols designed to safeguard your money.

Here are some of the key safeguards we have in place:

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): For all online banking activities, including access to your account and transactions, we require two-factor authentication. This adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access.

Encryption: We deploy the latest encryption technologies to protect all data transmitted between you and our systems, ensuring that your sensitive information remains confidential. This means there is no way transactions you initiate can be seen by anyone, even by people in the bank, until the transaction is complete.

Fraud Detection Systems: Our advanced fraud detection systems continuously monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity, helping to prevent unauthorized transactions.

Security Updates: We continuously update our security protocols and software to defend against emerging threats and to keep your money safe.

Our own forensic team of investigators and analysts focus their full energy on helping law enforcement with information and resources to assist in arrests and convictions.

At the same time, customers are regularly reminded to use strong, unique passwords for their online banking access and to be cautious of scams or unsolicited communication that may appear to be from the bank.

However, to minimize incidents such as being forced or coerced to share passwords or OTPs or forced to make withdrawals or payments due to threat of violence, customers are strongly encouraged to reduce their daily ATM withdrawal and payment limits so that if they are threatened by criminals, high amounts cannot be accessed.

Should anyone have any information about this kind of criminal activity or have witnessed threatening behaviour by criminals attempting to steal someone’s personal details and money, as with any criminal activity observed, contact the police immediately.

Should you have any questions or need assistance from FNB, our Contact Centre is available at 081 9536262 / (061)-2992222 / (061) 299 2999 between 08h00 – 19h00 or contact your relationship manager or private banker directly.

ENDS//

For more information contact:

Kirsty Watermeyer
Communications Manager
Kirsty.Watermeyer@fnbnamibia.com.na