News24 | How criminals are using screen-sharing apps to drain accounts

Pause, think and verify #BeforeYouClick any link sent to you. This is a fraud awareness campaign.

News24

Imagine someone gets full control of both your banking app and internet banking, and helps themselves to all your money and investments over several days.

Each week in our #BeforeYouClick series, we unpack the latest fraud trends, but criminals are constantly finding new ways to access our bank accounts.

They are now using remote access screen-sharing apps under the guise of “helping” victims. They may pretend to be from your bank, or even a South African Revenue Service official assisting with your eFiling. We are also coming across instances of investment fraud where criminals pose as forex or cryptocurrency brokers, walking novice traders through trading platforms.

It is always the same con: impersonating a trusted entity and claiming to help you.

In one recent case, this exact method of remote screen-sharing resulted in a catastrophic loss, and it all started with a single text message.

The phish: Exploiting panic

The attack began with an SMS alerting the victim to an unauthorised transaction – in this instance, R14 500. The message included a phone number to call if the activity wasn’t authorised.

Usually, when a victim receives a notification like this, their rational brain is effectively hijacked by fear. Instead of verifying the claim through official channels, the victim in this case called the number provided in the text.

The individual on the other end of the line was not a bank employee, but a trained scammer posing as a member of the bank’s fraud department. The fraudster assured the victim that they could resolve the issue and protect her remaining funds, immediately establishing a false bubble of trust.

The trap: Taking full control

To “assist” her, the scammer instructed the victim to download remote access software – specifically, legitimate screen-sharing applications that you can get from the app stores.

Once installed, the fraudster guided her to log in to both her mobile banking application and online banking portal. Entering credentials while screen-sharing essentially handed the criminals total command over a trusted device.

Because modern security protocols rely heavily on trusted devices to approve transactions and bypass multi-factor authentication, the scammer didn’t need to break through the bank’s digital vault – the victim inadvertently handed over the digital keys.

The isolation bubble

What followed was the most insidious element of the operation. The criminal instructed the victim not to answer any incoming calls or discuss the matter with anyone, claiming it was part of a “high-level security protocol”.

In reality, the bank’s automated anti-fraud monitoring systems had detected suspicious login behaviour and attempted to contact the customer repeatedly. Because she was instructed to shut out external communications, she ignored every phone call and text message from her real bank.

Trapped inside this artificial bubble, she watched the scammers operate for four days, believing they were actively recovering her money. Instead, they systematically drained her transactional accounts, savings, and linked business accounts of millions.

How to protect yourself

To safeguard your accounts against remote access fraud, remember these non-negotiable rules:

• Trust no one out of the blue: Caller IDs and SMS sender tags can easily be spoofed. Never assume a caller is authentic just because of what appears on your screen.
• Hang up and call back: Never call numbers provided in unverified text messages. Always use the built-in calling features inside your bank’s official app or dial the number on the back of your card.
• Never grant remote access: Your bank, tax authority, or legitimate service providers will never ask you to download software to secure your account.
• Never ignore direct bank warnings: If your bank reaches out to verify a transaction or suspicious login, do not ignore the contact.

Staying safe online requires taking a breath, pausing under pressure, and always verifying who is on the line before you click.

Stop, breathe, and verify #BeforeYouClick.

 Get more tips on how to beat the scam on Standard Bank channels.

This series is brought to you by Standard Bank. Follow the series here.