The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund has warned the public of fraudulent activities that seek to defraud or solicit personal information from claimants to benefit from payments.

The fund’s chief of corporate affairs, Surihe Gaomas-Guchu in a media statement on Monday said that it has come to their attention that con artists telephonically request personal information from claimants to carry out scams.

“Con artists engage in scams by contacting claimants purportedly on behalf of the fund and request their identification details, including their bank details, for the fund to deposit funds owed to them for injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes. The public is hereby informed that the fund does not request personal, private or otherwise sensitive information from claimants via the phone, text messages or emails,” Gaomas-Guchu said.

This activity, she added, is fraudulent and seeks to defraud claimants.

Gaomas-Guchu explained that MVA recruits case managers at all of its centres who conduct daily hospital visits and assist motor vehicle accident patients with their claims and therefore, persons receiving such calls are reminded to ignore and refrain from sharing personal banking or sensitive information with anyone over the phone.

“In line with MVA Fund processes, claimants are obliged to submit banking confirmation letters as proof of bank account ownership. The public is further urged to help fight corruption by reporting activity to the fund’s anti-Flfraud number. Subsequently, if members of the public have any doubt about the authenticity of emails, letters or telephone calls purportedly made from or on behalf of the Fund they are urged to contact any office of the MVA Fund Service Centers,” said Gaomas-Guchu.

Source: Namibia Press Agency