Verification · Trust & verification
Report Suspicious Contact Details
All verification guidesReport a wrong detail
Direct answer
Report suspicious contact details before you act on them, not after. Most reporting advice assumes money has already been lost. This page is for the earlier moment: a number, message or profile looks wrong but nothing has happened yet. Reporting at that point protects you and the next person it would have reached, and it costs you almost nothing. Verified 18 August 2026.
Why report something that has not cost you anything
- Organisations often do not know a number is impersonating them until a customer says so. A report is frequently the first evidence they have.
- Platforms act on reports, not on your suspicion alone. A single report may not trigger a takedown, but reports accumulate, and yours may be the one that tips it.
- Reporting early costs you almost nothing. A screenshot and a short message, sent once, versus the alternative of the same number reaching someone less careful than you.
Where to report, by what you found
| What you found | Report to |
|---|---|
| A number or message impersonating a specific company | That company, through a route you verified on its own site |
| A suspicious website | Yima’s free scanner at www.yima.org.za, and the platform hosting any advertisement for it |
| A WhatsApp number or profile | Report and block within WhatsApp, which flags the account to the platform |
| A social media page or advert | The platform’s own report function |
| A pattern affecting many people, not just you | SAFPS on 011 867 2234, or SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111 for anonymous tip-offs |
Crime Stop is worth distinguishing from opening your own case. SAPS describes it as an anonymous tip-off service for information about people involved in illegal activity, not a route to a case number. Use it to flag a pattern; use a police station if you are personally the victim.
What makes a report worth acting on
- The exact detail, copied rather than paraphrased.
- Where you found it, with a full page address or the platform and account name.
- Why you believe it is suspicious, in one factual sentence, such as the number not matching the organisation’s published contact.
- A screenshot, taken immediately, since the listing or profile may be edited or removed before your report is read.
A report that includes the correct detail and its official source, alongside the wrong one, is far more likely to be actioned quickly than a general complaint.
Verifying before you report
Confirm the detail is actually wrong before reporting it, since an unfamiliar but genuine number can otherwise be reported by mistake. Type the organisation’s domain yourself and check its own contact page. If the number, address or channel does not appear there, your suspicion is confirmed and the report can proceed with confidence.
Official reporting routes
| Body | Contact | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| SAPS Crime Stop | 08600 10111 | Anonymous tip-offs about criminal activity |
| SAPS | 10111, or any station | Opening a case if you are the victim |
| SAFPS | 011 867 2234, protection@safps.org.za | Protective Registration, free, and impersonation patterns |
| Yima | 083 123 7226, www.yima.org.za | Website scanning and scam reporting |
| ICASA | 012 568 3000, consumer@icasa.org.za | Telecoms provider conduct |
| FSCA | 0800 203 722, fsca.co.za | Unauthorised financial services providers |
If it later turns into a loss
Should the same number or approach later result in a payment or shared credentials, phone your bank on the number on your card immediately, then open a SAPS case and keep the number, and apply for Protective Registration through SAFPS if identity documents were involved. Having already reported it earlier gives you a documented timeline, which strengthens a later dispute or claim.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth reporting something before I have lost anything?
Yes. Organisations frequently only learn their identity is being used through customer reports, and platforms act on accumulated reports rather than a single complaint. A report costs you a few minutes and may prevent someone else’s loss.
What is the difference between Crime Stop and opening a case?
Crime Stop on 08600 10111 takes anonymous tip-offs about criminal activity. If you are personally the victim and need a case number for a bank or ombud process, go to a police station instead.
What information should I prepare?
The exact detail copied rather than paraphrased, where you found it, one factual sentence on why it looks wrong, and a screenshot taken immediately.
What should I do if I cannot get help?
Report it to more than one place: the genuine organisation, the hosting platform, and Yima’s scanner and reporting tool. If it later results in a loss, escalate through your bank and SAPS using the reporting record you already created.
Last verified 18 August 2026. Routes confirmed on saps.gov.za, safps.org.za, www.yima.org.za, icasa.org.za and fsca.co.za.