New day, new scam
Scammers pose as bank officials, tricking victims into transferring money to fake "safe" accounts - beware!
The SA Fraud Prevention Service has warned about a new modus operandi which involves scammers calling potential victims, pretending to be from their banks, and asking them to move money into a safer or higher-interest-bearing account.
"Victims will unknowingly be moving money from their account into the scammer's account,” says SAFPS head of operations Roy Retief.
2. Here’s what that snowstorm taught us…
Before setting off on any road trip, no matter the time of year or how lovely the weather is at the time, be sure to check the weather forecast.
The SA Weather Service is on top of what Mother Nature has in store for us and issues constant updates on all platforms. Access those forecasts and warnings on whatever platform works for you.
When it comes to the weather, knowledge really is power.
3. “Don’t claim for every little thing.”
Now, you may scoff at that insurance advice if you’re paying a monthly insurance premium on your car and household contents.
That’s why you have insurance, right?
If it’s a valid claim for a bumper scrape or a shower leak, your insurer will settle it.
Should you then have a major claim or a spate of them, what’s very likely to happen is the insurer will add up your claims in the past three years. If the total is more than what you’ve paid in premiums, your policy could be cancelled, making it very expensive to find alternative cover, if at all.
4. Can a car repair workshop overshoot its original quote and demand that you pay an inflated amount before they release your car?
Of course not.
The practice is outlawed by the Consumer Protection Act, which states that a service provider may not deviate from an agreed written quote without the consumer’s express consent. The Act also says they must give you any parts they replaced, in a clean container.
Tell them upfront that you want to see them.
5. Uninsurable risks
Natural disasters (like floods and fires) are making some properties, and in some cases, whole areas or developments - uninsurable from a risk perspective.
Many homeowners are getting letters from their insurers saying they are no longer covered for flooding damage, for example.
So, if you are in the property buying market, ask very specific questions about insurance claims the current owners have lodged in the recent past and source an insurance quote on the property, to avoid inheriting a very big, expensive problem.
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