Your Digital Identity Matters
MEDIA RELEASE
Issued: 30 October 2026
Insight from Catherine Beukes, IT Security Specialist, Letshego Holdings Namibia
A digital identity is more than a username and password. It is the full collection of information that represents a person online, such as usernames, email addresses, banking credentials, online profiles, device details, and other information linked to online activities. Because it grants access to valuable services and personal resources, it has become one of the most attractive targets for cybercriminals.
Catherine Beukes, IT Security Specialist at Letshego Holdings Namibia, compares a digital identity to a physical identity document. Just as an ID card verifies who someone is in person, a digital identity verifies who they are online. If criminals gain access to key elements of that information, they can use it to impersonate a person, take over accounts, or commit fraud in that person’s name. Protecting a digital identity is therefore not a technical nicety, it is central to protecting privacy, financial security, and personal trust.
Strengthening it starts with the basics. Use strong, unique passwords, and avoid reusing the same password across accounts. A password used for banking should never double as a password for email or social media. Email deserves particular attention, since it is often the master key used to reset other accounts, so secure it with both a strong password and multi-factor authentication. A password manager can help store and recall these securely. It is equally important that customers avoid granting remote access to their devices and never entertain unexpected callers who ask them to install remote-access software, doing so can hand a stranger direct access to a device and its banking information.
If your device or any of your accounts is compromised, how quickly you respond can determine how much damage is done. Acting fast is critical. A customer who suspects they have been scammed should stop all contact with the suspected scammer immediately, secure their accounts by locking, suspending, or reporting any compromised accounts through the relevant service provider and from a different trusted device, change passwords and enable multi-factor authentication. If there is financial loss or the SIM card is compromised, the incident should be reported both to Letshego through official channels and to the police for a case number, with evidence such as messages, screenshots, phone numbers, and transaction references. Customers should also stay alert to "recovery scams," where someone offers, for a fee, to recover money already lost. Verify such requests independently before making a payment. There is no shame in being targeted. Reporting any suspicious activity helps prevent scams from happening to others.
A digital identity carries a person's reputation, financial profile, and presence in the digital world, based on what you publish or engage with online; it deserves the same care as a passport or a national ID. Protecting it proactively, and acting quickly when something feels wrong, is one of the most valuable habits a customer can build. In a digital world, guarding an identity is no different from guarding your national ID.
Report anything suspicious to any of these channels:
Toll-free for Telecom fixed lines: 080 000 3313
Toll-free for MTC users: 081 918 37
Call back number: +27 11 929 3334
Email: letshego@tip-offs.com
Website: www.tip-offs.com
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