In a groundbreaking move to enhance customer security, FNB has introduced Secure Call on the FNB App, enabling safer voice calls to customer service. This new feature complements the existing Secure Chat functionality, which was introduced a few years ago for inquiries.
Secure Call operates on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), allowing voice calls via the Internet. Notably, FNB has zero-rated Secure Call with major network operators, ensuring customers do not consume their data when making calls. This measure is particularly crucial in countering fraud practices like ‘Vishing,’ where fraudsters impersonate financial institution officials to extract sensitive information from consumers.
Jacques Celliers, FNB CEO, emphasizes the importance of secure customer interactions to build a trusted digital platform. The Secure Chat feature has been highly successful among customers, but FNB acknowledges that some customers prefer verbal communication. Hence, enabling such interactions with proper customer authentication, free of charge, becomes essential.
FNB continues to strive for improved two-way communication with customers and plans to enhance outbound communication to further protect against phishing and vishing risks. The bank has seen remarkable progress in digital logins and interactions on its platform, with millions of customers using it not only for financial services but also for lifestyle services like managing telco needs and purchasing pre-paid services and smart devices.