The one rule: the FIC never asks for money
The FIC is a government intelligence unit. It receives reports from accountable institutions and develops financial intelligence for investigators and prosecutors. It does not investigate or prosecute crime itself, it does not hold or freeze ordinary customers’ accounts, and it never contacts members of the public to demand fees, levies, release payments or “compliance charges”. That single fact disposes of every FICA-fee scam variant without needing to analyse the email.
The common FICA scams
- The release fee. “Your funds are held under FICA — pay a fee to release them.” Often dressed up with FIC or SARB logos and case numbers. Always fake: neither body collects release fees.
- The inheritance/lottery clearance. A windfall is waiting, but first a “FICA clearance certificate” must be bought. There is no such certificate.
- The phishing re-FICA. An SMS or email impersonating your bank links to a fake “update your FICA documents” site that harvests credentials. The underlying request is plausible — banks really do re-request documents — which is what makes this variant dangerous.
- The deposit redirect. In property transactions, fraudsters impersonate the conveyancer and send “updated” bank details, sometimes wrapped in FICA language. Always confirm account details by phoning the firm on a number you already have.
How to tell a real FICA request from a fake
| Real FICA request | Scam |
|---|---|
| Comes from an institution you actually deal with | Comes from "the FIC", SARB, or an institution you have no relationship with |
| Asks for documents or information | Asks for money, vouchers or crypto |
| Lets you respond via the institution’s own app, site or branch | Insists on a link, attachment or unfamiliar account |
| Survives verification — phone the institution on its published number and it confirms | Falls apart on a verification call, or pressures you not to make one |
| No urgency beyond a reasonable deadline | "Within 24 hours or your funds are forfeited" |
The verification habit beats every variant: contact the institution through a channel you found — the number on your card, the app, the published switchboard — never the contact details inside the message itself.
Reporting: scams@fic.gov.za
FIC impersonation can be reported to scams@fic.gov.za. Phishing in a bank’s name goes to that bank’s fraud line, and financial losses to SAPS. If a genuine FICA matter is mixed in with the fright — an account actually on hold, documents actually outstanding — the holds guide covers the legitimate process.
Frequently asked questions
No — always a scam. The FIC never demands payments from members of the public and does not freeze ordinary customers’ accounts. Report the email to scams@fic.gov.za and do not pay.
Possibly real: ongoing due diligence is a statutory duty, and banks do re-request documents. The safe procedure is to ignore the link in the message and submit documents only through the bank’s own app, website (typed into the browser yourself) or a branch.
The FIC is an intelligence unit, not your bank’s back office. Account holds and freezes for FICA are imposed by the institution itself under section 21E. A caller claiming the FIC has frozen your money and can release it for a fee is running the classic impersonation script.