A new phishing scam has emerged, using the name of the Nelson Mandela Foundation as a hook.
Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies or organisations in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as identity numbers, passwords and credit card numbers.
The Foundation does not send emails to the public requesting personal information.
The email, with “Your salary starts 27th May 2019” in the subject line, requests the recipient to phone a South African cellphone number to receive a final interview and approval, plus guidelines for assuming office.
The position offered is not mentioned. This, the email’s poor grammar and requests for personal information, as well as mistakes made in the names of well-known people such as Foundation Chairperson Prof. Njabulo Ndebele and social activist Graça Machel, are indications that the email is a scam.
The Foundation once again warns the public against giving anyone personal information via email.