Domain Name Fraud

South Africa now has more than 50.84 million internet users as at January 2024. More than 78.9% of households have at least one person who accesses the internet and a typical user spends more than eight hours online every day. Sooner or later, all of these users are going to be confronted with some sort of online fraud. This might be a fake banking website, an email pretending to come from a government department with a valuable tender opportunity, or simply a message from a “relative” who has died and left you a fortune, but only if you give them all kinds of sensitive personal information.

Domain names are the identifiers appearing in email addresses (fake.name@fakedept.gov.za) and websites (www.faketenders.co.za). This advisory describes a number of fraudulent activities involving domain names and provides some guidance on reporting them to the relevant authorities.

For more information please see the joint public advisory from ISPA, ZADNA and ZARC.