Absa recently announced that an employee had “unlawfully made selected customer data available to a small number of external parties.”

According to Absa, the data leak relates to a small portion of Absa South Africa’s customer base, and while it included personal information, it did not include customer PINs or passwords.

Absa confirmed that it had seized all devices containing the data, and that the data on these devices had subsequently been destroyed.

The bank said that it had “enhanced the monitoring of customer accounts that have been affected to date, and will contact customers directly”. Absa has put in place additional control measures to minimise the risk of a similar leak occurring in future.

This follows a data leak in August by Experian where personal information was compromised.

While in both cases sensitive information such as PINs and passwords were not compromised, these leaks can lead to an increase in ID theft.

Criminal syndicates would have sufficient information from customers to possibly steal their identity to open credit agreements in their name or to use the information for sophisticated phishing scams. This is where a criminal pretends to be from the bank and convinces unsuspecting customers to reveal their sensitive banking details.

Avoid clicking on email links

The first line of defence is to never click on a link in an email, especially if it claims to come from your bank. Always log on to your banking profile through your browser.

Also be wary if you get a call from someone who says they’re a bank employee. Just because they know a lot about you and have your banking information, does not mean it is legitimate – they could have gotten your details from a data leak. Never give any sensitive information over the phone – rather phone the bank back.

If you are concerned that you are a victim of ID theft, you can also register with the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS).

One of the most important services, and the core of the SAFPS offering, is Protective Registration. This is a free service that can protect individuals against future fraud. Consumers apply for this service and the SAFPS alerts its members to take additional care when dealing with that individual’s details.

Manie van Schalkwyk, CEO of SAFPS says Protective Registration provides an added layer of protection and peace of mind, regardless of whether the identity of the applicant has been compromised or not.

In the case where a consumer knows they have fallen victim to identity theft, they can contact the credit provider who listed them as a fraudster and let the company investigate this fraud.

“If the consumers are not getting any joy from the credit providers, then contact SAFPS for assistance,” says van Schalkwyk.

For free ID protection against identity fraud, click here, to go to the SAFPS Protective Registration page. You will need a smartphone for the digital process or follow the manual process.

This article first appeared in City Press.