Lientjie Mentz
The South African police have numerous sophisticated cases reported to them relating to cyber fraud and cybercrime that leave the victims in dire straits. The most vulnerable of these are elderly people, who often are not as clued up with doing online transactions.
Lt. Col Lorato Mabeleng and her staff at the Bainsvlei Police Station in Bloemfontein battle the onslaught of cybercriminals daily.
Buy and sell online with caution
Detective Capt. Thapelo Motseki urges residents to shop online with caution.
“One of the online platforms that gets lots of fake sales, is Facebook. There are credible sales made, but many people end up without the product, minus their money.”
Const. Nelisa Mbali says cybercriminals share fake proof of payment documents to unsuspecting buyers.
“We warn people not to give the goods before the money actually reflects in their bank balances.
“Also, you can prevent money that is paid into your account from being reversed by spending a minimum of R50.”
Mbali says it is best to accept cash on delivery at a public place.
“If you are still concerned, ask the customer to do the transaction at a police station, for security reasons.”
The police warn people to stop buying products or making payments without products actually having been delivered.
It is not only Facebook marketplaces that cause individuals to lose money. There are also fake website scams.
The police’s counsel is to refrain from buying from unfamiliar websites, as it is difficult to spot fake website domains and IP addresses.
Before making a purchase online, do thorough research on the website. This includes reading through the comments, but be vigilant – some of the positive comments are a setup to make a website seem legitimate, the police warn.
According to the Bainsvlei police, common pitfalls include advertisements about puppies or vehicles for sale.
Beware all things that seem too good to be true
Other scams the police see daily involves investment deals and loans where victims pay money to be able to access funds.
Victims could also receive SMSs about “lottery winnings” or competitions, in which they are asked to pay money to access their funds.
People often get caught on false Bitcoin and Crypto currency trading platforms.
Remember, the good guys can be impersonated
Another way cybercriminals manage to convince victims to pay them, is sending SMSs as a “courier company” asking the victim to pay in order to receive a parcel. Customers are advised to first verify their order on the website from which they have ordered a parcel, and to not pay if they are uncertain.
Also, bank scams have been plaguing victims for more than a decade.
WO David Mangojane says these criminals cause people to panic by informing them that there is fraudulent activity in their bank account.
“This kind of communication will almost always be fraudulent.
“The bank does not check payments in and out of your account. It is much more reasonable that you will see something wrong in your payments and go to your bank,” Mangojane warns.
If they say they are from the bank, say you will call the bank or visit your bank; do not use the number from which the scammer is calling you to call back, the police advise.
“Read and understand the warnings about scamming activities that the bank posts on its apps, regarding information such as the sharing of OTPs, as well as the sharing of pins and card numbers.”
Scammers target people at any time of day or night, and it is important to note that this is most common when the bank is closed. The number they use to call victims often shows the bank name and “fraud department”.
Uphold vigilance, all round
WO Michael Kennard says cybercriminals target everyone, but remarkably often pensioners fall prey.
“It is best for elderly people to draw money inside shops and banks, rather than at ATMs.”
In conclusion, people are urged to heed this advise to not give criminals the opportunity to access their hard-earned money.
