Not everyone with your info is from your bank!
Scammers use leaked data to trick you into giving your OTP. Don’t trust caller ID—always verify by calling the company yourself.
Armed with a wealth of sensitive data, thanks to a series of breaches, scammers are able to craft personalised and persuasive attacks to trick you into giving them your One Time Pin and then spend on your account. If you get a call from someone saying there’s suspected fraud on your account, or offering you free goodies, end it and then call the company, after Googling the number.
If Truecaller identifies the bank as the caller, you can’t trust that either, because the scammers are manipulating spam apps to trick their would-be victims.
2. Buy, buy, buy - Netflix exposes how our retail therapy buttons are being pushed
If you haven’t watched it yet, do yourself a favour and devote 84 minutes to Netflix’s recently launched documentary, Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy. Former employees of Adidas, Amazon, and Apple spill the beans on how our collective desire for endless consumption is exploited with tactics designed to get us to part with our money over and over. It gives us a chilling look at what happens when our discarded fast fashion purchases make their way to landfills.
3. Have your say about the government’s proposed new direct marketing opt-out register
December 12. That’s the cut-off date to let the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition know how you feel about its proposed new Opt-Out (of direct marketing) register. The proposed new rules to restrict direct marketing - available on the DTIC’s website - are aimed at protecting consumers from “intrusive” advertising, mainly by establishing an opt-out registry to be administered by the National Consumer Commission. Marketers will be unable to contact any person who registers a pre-emptive block. We, the consumers will be able to do so on the database by filling out a form. Email your comments to [email protected]
4. Early debit orders - it’s a Dezemba thing
Can your bank or insurance company run your debit order earlier than your contracted date in December? Yes - most contracts make allowances for that, and most companies do so, to avoid there being insufficient funds in your account by Christmas. But they must alert you in advance and preferably give you the option of sticking to your agreed date. If you incur bank charges in relation to the “bouncing” of an early debit order, because you didn’t get paid early, ask for a refund of the bank charges.
5. Make sure your new car is insured before you take delivery of it
A cautionary tale: a man bought a new car about six weeks ago, and collected it from the dealership on a Saturday, thinking it was insured. Banks insist that financed cars must be comprehensively insured before leaving the showroom floor, and in this case, the insurer confirmed in writing that the car in question was insured. On that Monday his wife had an accident in the car, and the claim was denied due to non-payment of the premium. Not fair, they said, the first instalment was only due at the end of October. The husband has been told by the insurer in a recorded call that he would be debited a pro-rata amount to cover the car until that end-of-month payment, and that debit was unsuccessful.
Get in touch with Wendy via her website or her Facebook page. Please note that Wendy is not able to personally respond to every email she receives. If she is able to take up your case, she will contact you directly. Here are other avenues for you to consider.