South African Consumers Lose R2bn to Online Scams in One Year, Citizens Voice Anger and Frustration
- South African consumers have fallen victim to numerous online scams over the past year, losing billions
- A Cyber Insurance expert has noted that many people fell victim during the festive season as they looked for deals
- South Africans weighed in on the latest statistic, expressing frustration with the amount of scams online
- A resident of KwaZulu-Natal told Briefly News about how he was scammed out of money online
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – Everyone loves a good sale, especially over the festive season, but sadly, that bargain-hunting spirit has cost some dearly.
The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) has revealed that numerous people have lost money to online scams. Over the past year, South African consumers lost approximately R2 billion to online scams. SABRIC says the number could be states thathigher, as some cases were not reported.
Cyber Insurance expert warns residents to be cautious
Cyber Insurance expert, Lwando Cwane, spoke to SABC News about the situation, saying there has been a significant uptick in such crimes during the festive season alone. This is due to many people trying to get their last-minute shopping done.
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“The festive season is always one of those seasons we look out for. People are looking for deals, people are trying to save money, and unfortunately, this is also the time when the scammers are out in full force to try and lure you away from the reputable sites onto their fake sites in order to spend your money fraudulently,” Cwane said.
Cwane added that there were many cases where people received SMSes or emails claiming to be sales from sites like Makro and Takealot, but these messages actually directed many people to fraudulent sites.
Cwane is not the only one to warn South Africans. In November 2025, Michael Buswell told people about a scam that steals voices. Actress Leleti Khumalo also cautioned her fans against a new scam.
KwaZulu-Natal resident recalls his scam experience
A resident of KwaZulu-Natal, who asked to remain anonymous, detailed how he was scammed out of money on what he believed was a great deal. The man explained that he was led to a site selling air fryers cheaply, but after paying for the product, he never received it.
The company in question replied a few times, saying they were busy dispatching stock still, but no longer responded to queries after a week.
Source: Getty Images
South Africans discuss online scams
Social media users weighed in on the issue of the scams, sharing varying reactions to it.
Enver Tariq Dollie said:
“And the online companies have walked away Scott-free. Facebook has posts of cars and many products. Seen a car being sold for 10% of the price, and the same cars are posted by various people all over South Africa. And when reporting this to Meta the say they can’t remove it as they see nothing wrong. Then what is the government doing about this? Ai FICA, just a joke. They can trace these guys.”
Clifton Dancey asked:
“Why can’t the network providers detect the scams and phone hackers?”
Yousuf Omarjee stated:
“The POPI Act protects criminals and prevents legal proceedings in a lot of these scam cases.”
Moegamat Dollie suggested:
“Stop buying online. Go shop like the old days. Enjoy the fresh air and friendly shop assistants. Go out and meet people.”
Blessing Mujima Mujima recalled:
“I'm also a victim. Those scammers walked away with my R20k. I blame these network providers; they participated too.”
Ugandan nationals arrested for scam involving rats
Briefly News reported that Limpopo police arrested three Ugandan nationals for allegedly scamming residents using rats and fake money.
The men allegedly solicited money from unsuspecting community members under false spiritual pretences.
South Africans weighed in on the arrests, sharing amusing reactions to the use of the rats in the scam.
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Source: Briefly News
