South Africans affected by online scams, hacked accounts, identity theft and other forms of cybercrime can now access free, confidential support through a new helpline launched by MiDO Academy, The Cyber Helpline and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Anna Collard
The service provides practical guidance to people affected by online fraud, investment and employment scams, phishing, sextortion, online harassment, malware and other digital incidents.
It is available to anyone in South Africa aged 13 and older, including individuals and sole traders, through The Cyber Helpline website.
The pilot will run for an initial 12 months, during which the partners will test locally adapted guidance, responder training and referral processes before considering an expansion.
Support beyond reporting cybercrime
Unlike formal reporting channels, the helpline focuses on helping victims understand what has happened and take steps to limit further harm.
This can include securing compromised accounts and devices, preserving evidence and identifying where an incident should be reported. Where appropriate, victims can also be referred to banks, the South African Police Service (SAPS), specialist organisations or mental health services.
The helpline cannot investigate crimes or recover money lost to scams.
The model draws on The Cyber Helpline's experience in the UK and US. The organisation says more than two million people have accessed its guidance since 2018, with more than 100,000 receiving direct support.
Rory Innes, founder and CEO of The Cyber Helpline, said victims often did not know where to turn after experiencing online crime.
The South African service has been adapted to the country's cyber threat landscape, with trained local responders providing technical guidance and support to people experiencing distress.
Free service backed by AWS
AWS is funding the pilot and providing the cloud infrastructure on which the service operates. Its Trust and Safety team also provided training to responders in Cape Town.
MiDO Academy, a South African social impact organisation, houses the project and its student volunteer responders. The initiative was conceived with support from KnowBe4 Africa, while The Cyber Helpline provides the operational model, training and ongoing mentorship.
The project also offers aspiring cybersecurity professionals practical experience handling real-world incidents under supervision.
Anna Collard, senior vice-president of content strategy and CISO adviser at KnowBe4, and co-founder of MiDO Academy, said combining technical guidance with empathy was important because sophisticated scams often exploit human psychology.
How to access the helpline
The service is available through The Cyber Helpline website. An online chatbot provides immediate step-by-step guidance around the clock, with cases requiring additional assistance referred to trained human responders.
Human support is coordinated through the platform, rather than through a traditional telephone hotline with an instant response.
The organisations say case information is encrypted and stored securely on AWS infrastructure. Access is restricted to vetted responders and supervisors, and information is shared with other organisations only with the victim's consent, according to the partners.
The service is designed to complement, not replace, formal crime reporting.
