Email impersonation works because almost nobody reads the actual sending address. A display name can say anything at all, and the address behind it is where the truth sits.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not any of the organisations named here and we cannot act on your behalf. What this page gives you is the correct order to do things in, and contact routes verified on each organisation’s own official site.
How to check an email address properly
- Expand the sender to reveal the full address, not just the display name. On mobile this usually means tapping the sender line.
- Read the domain, which is the part after the @, from right to left. The last two elements before the first slash are what matter.
- Compare it to the organisation’s real domain, which you should look up independently rather than trusting the email.
- Watch for look-alike domains: an inserted hyphen, a swapped letter, an extra word, or a real domain used as a subdomain of a different one.
- Hover over links without clicking to see the true destination, which is frequently different from the visible text.
Common disguises
- A close variant of the real domain, such as an added or removed letter that reads correctly at a glance.
- The organisation’s name placed in a subdomain of an unrelated domain.
- A free webmail address used for what claims to be corporate correspondence.
- A reply-to address that differs from the from address.
- Any request to change banking details, which is the single most common goal of business email compromise.
What to do next
If the email asks for money, credentials or a change of banking details, verify by phoning the organisation on a number you sourced independently. Never use the contact details contained in the email itself.
Before you contact anyone, have this ready
- Your account, policy or reference number for the organisation concerned.
- The exact address or location the query relates to.
- Dates: when the problem started and when you first made contact.
- Any reference number you have already been issued.
- A pen and paper for the new reference. Ask for one every time.
Verified reporting routes
These routes were verified against each organisation’s own official contact page during August 2026. Contact numbers do change, so confirm on the official page before relying on one for anything urgent.
| Organisation | Contact |
|---|---|
| SAPS emergency or a crime in progress | 10111 |
| SAPS Crime Stop | 08600 10111 |
| SAFPS help-line (identity and application fraud) | 011 867 2234 |
| Yima scam reporting hotline | 083 123 7226 |
Where the sender arranged and paid for the shipment, the courier’s contract is normally with them rather than with you. That often means the sender has to open the trace or lodge the claim, so tell the retailer at the same time as the courier.
Keep a record while it is happening
- Write down the date and time of every call, and the name the agent gave.
- Record the reference number for each contact. Without one, a follow-up starts from nothing.
- Keep any SMS or email exactly as received rather than forwarding and deleting it, since headers matter.
- Note what you were asked for, especially if a credential was requested, because that is evidence of an attempted fraud rather than a service failure.
- Photograph or screenshot anything that may be corrected or removed later.
A short written log is what turns a frustrating series of calls into something an escalation body can act on. Most complaint processes ask for the same three things: what happened, when, and what reference you were given.
Checking a number is genuine before you call
- Take the number from the organisation’s own website, typed into the address bar yourself, or from a document they issued you such as a card, bill or policy schedule.
- Treat search adverts, social media replies and third-party directories as unverified, whatever they look like.
- Check the context matches: fraud, accounts, faults and emergencies usually have separate numbers.
- No legitimate organisation needs your one time PIN, password, card PIN or remote access to your device.
- If a caller resists you phoning back on a published number, that resistance is itself the answer.
Related contact pages
- Sassa Email Address
- Sars Email Address
- Verification
- Identity Theft Contact Details South Africa
- Verify Before You Pay
- Banking Scam Prevention South Africa
- Change Of Banking Details Scam
- Check If Online Store Is Legit South Africa
- Company Impersonation Scam South Africa
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which number is the right one for my problem?
Most organisations publish several. Match the number to the task: a fraud line for anything involving money moving without your consent, a fault line for a service failure, and general enquiries for everything else. Calling the wrong one usually means being transferred and losing your place.
What should I do if nobody answers?
Note the time and try again, then use a written channel such as email or the organisation’s web form so there is a dated record. A written trail is what an escalation or complaint will later be built on.
Is it safe to call back a number that contacted me?
No. Calling back reaches the same people. Look the organisation up independently and use the number published on its own site instead.
What if I have already shared something I should not have?
Act on the money first. Phone your bank’s fraud line using the number on your card, ask for the card to be blocked and pending transactions stopped, then change the password on your email before anything else, because email access allows the rest to be reset.
Contact routes on this page were checked against the official sources of each organisation named, during August 2026. Where a detail has changed, that organisation’s own site is always the authority.