Two more FNB clients scammed

Two more clients of the First National Bank (FNB) have allegedly been victims of a scam that resulted in huge loss of funds from their accounts.

A Rundu-based FNB customer on Tuesday lost over N$130 000. Katrina Moses says she has not received any notification to alert her.

“My phone has not had network coverage for about five hours. I thought it was because we were inland,’ she says.

Her money was stolen at around 15h00.

“I checked my banking application later, that’s when I discovered that all the money was gone, including my three savings accounts,” she said.

“I called the bank immediately, and informed me that the transaction was pending, and said they were going to freeze it. They told me it is not guaranteed I will get my money back,” she said.

Moses says the bank is suspecting that her subscriber identity module (SIM) was hacked. She has since opened a case at the Rundu Police Station.

“It took me three years to save this money. I have two children, and now there’s only N$30 in my account. I don’t know how I’m going to survive,” she said.

Rundu Police chief inspector Hermien Muranda confirmed a case was opened, and has been transferred to the commercial crime department.

In the second incident, a pensioner from King Kauluma village in the Oshikoto region lost N$6 000 to scammers through FNB Namibia last week.

Helena Nepunda (63) allegedly received a notification on 13 April that she was about to make an online purchase of R5 600 or N$5 768 .

Later she says she received another notification, telling her she had made the purchase.

“The following day she went to the (Omuthiya FNB) branch, where they told her to open a case at Omuthiya Police Station,” says her daughter and namesake, Helena Nepunda.

Nepunda (Jr) says after reporting the case, she went back to the bank.

A screenshot seen by The Namibian shows Nepunda (Snr) received the notifications at 21h23 on 13 April. They show that N$5 768 was deducted from her FNB account.

“The bank told her they would call her after an investigation that will determine whether her money will be refunded,” Nepunda (Jr) says.

A police officer at Omuthiya Police Station confirmed a case was opened.

FNB spokesperson Kirsty Watermeyer has warned customers to be vigilant and verify suspicious communication.

“If there is any uncertainty regarding a call or message claiming to be from the bank, we strongly advise customers to end the interaction immediately and contact us directly through our official channels,” she said.

“Clients are repeatedly reminded that FNB would never ask for personal identification numbers (PIN), or one‑time passwords. These are highly confidential and should never be shared with anyone,” Watermeyer says.

The latest cases are just one of hundreds reported at various banks.

The Bank of Namibia in a report last week revealed that Namibians have been losing over N$6 million to fraudsters every month.

The Namibian on 15 April reported that banks have said there are no policies in place to refund clients once they have been defrauded.

How to protect your money

Avoid:

• unexpected transactions or unfamiliar charges on your card
• calls, texts, or emails asking for your card number, PIN, or OTP (one-time password)
• ATMs or payment terminals that look tampered with or unusual
• websites that look suspicious or lack secure payment icons (such as a padlock symbol)

What you can do:

• Regularly review your bank and card statements for any unusual activity.
• Never share your card details, PIN, CVV number, or OTP – even if the request appears to come from your bank.
• Use ATMs in well-lit or trusted locations and shield your PIN when entering it.
• Report a lost or stolen card immediately and ask your bank to block it.

Source: Standard Chartered

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