MTN’s chairperson, Mcebisi Jonas, is once again the victim of a cyber scam, as fraudsters have been impersonating him on social media to spread misinformation. The telecommunications giant alerted the public that a fake account on X (formerly Twitter) was using Jonas’ name to mislead people. MTN clarified that Jonas does not have an official X account, distancing him from the content shared by the fraudsters. One of the posts even falsely addressed the national VAT debate, which had delayed the South African budget speech earlier this week.
This incident follows a similar issue reported by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), which warned about scammers impersonating its officials. Icasa stressed that it was not involved in any fraudulent activity and urged the public to stay cautious when receiving unsolicited messages. These impersonation attacks have been on the rise, and Jonas himself has been targeted before. Last year, fraudsters pretended to be him on messaging platforms, seeking financial support under the guise of sponsorships for various causes.
Cybersecurity experts warn that social engineering scams, where criminals manipulate people into revealing sensitive information, are becoming more sophisticated with the help of AI tools like ChatGPT. These technologies enable fraudsters to automate the process of identifying potential victims, making it easier to carry out targeted scams. Legal firms, software companies, and public figures such as Sy Mamabolo from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) have also been affected by similar attacks.
Security experts continue to urge the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious communication to help fight these increasingly common scams.MTN’s chairperson, Mcebisi Jonas, is once again the victim of a cyber scam, as fraudsters have been impersonating him on social media to spread misinformation. The telecommunications giant alerted the public that a fake account on X (formerly Twitter) was using Jonas’ name to mislead people. MTN clarified that Jonas does not have an official X account, distancing him from the content shared by the fraudsters. One of the posts even falsely addressed the national VAT debate, which had delayed the South African budget speech earlier this week.
This incident follows a similar issue reported by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), which warned about scammers impersonating its officials. Icasa stressed that it was not involved in any fraudulent activity and urged the public to stay cautious when receiving unsolicited messages. These impersonation attacks have been on the rise, and Jonas himself has been targeted before. Last year, fraudsters pretended to be him on messaging platforms, seeking financial support under the guise of sponsorships for various causes.
Cybersecurity experts warn that social engineering scams, where criminals manipulate people into revealing sensitive information, are becoming more sophisticated with the help of AI tools like ChatGPT. These technologies enable fraudsters to automate the process of identifying potential victims, making it easier to carry out targeted scams. Legal firms, software companies, and public figures such as Sy Mamabolo from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) have also been affected by similar attacks.
Security experts continue to urge the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious communication to help fight these increasingly common scams.