More and more people seem to be falling prey to online scammers and fraudsters, despite numerous warnings, campaigns and articles to create awareness regarding the matter.
Some of the most common ways people are targeted by unscrupulous fraudsters include fake online adverts selling goods such as cars, which the victim never receives once they pay over the money or their bank accounts being cleaned out after receiving calls from scammers pretending to be from their financial institution/bank’s fraud department.
Captain Fadila September, spokesperson for the Hermanus police, reported that at least six fraud cases have been reported in the last month.
“In one incident the victim reportedly paid R4 800 to register for an auction to buy a motor vehicle. The victim never received the vehicle.
“Another case was registered by a man who responded to an advertisement for the sale of solar panels. The victim paid the money and was also required to send proof of payment but never received the product.”
A woman who invested R2 000 in an investment app specialising in crypto currency, she said, also registered a fraud case at the start of May.
“When the woman wanted to withdraw the money she was allegedly told to deposit more money before this could be done,” September stated.
“Another victim reportedly received a call from a person posing as an employee from her banking institution. The complainant was told to click on a link in an SMS. She later discovered that R5 800 had been withdrawn from her account.”
One brazen fraudster, said September, even posed as a police official and ordered food of more than R8 000 from a restaurant in Bredasdorp.
“The man then later phoned the restaurant, asking them to buy him a large amount of airtime. When the owner delivered the food for 11 people to the police station, she discovered that she had been duped.
“He tried the same scam on another restaurant owner who, luckily, realised it was a scam because he knows that the police have certain procurement policies.
“He then reported the matter to the police.”
September warned business owners that the police only makes use of service providers who are registered on the police’s data basis.
She warned people to be very cautious when selling or buying items on social media platforms like Facebook and Gumtree and also never to provide their personal details such as the last digits on the bank cards or pin numbers when asked to do so telephonically.Here are some important safety tips: . Do not give your card number, account number or any part of it, the expiry date on your bank card, the three digits on the back of your card or your password for internet banking to anyone.. It is a scam when you have to pay money to inherit money.. When your bank card gets stuck in the ATM machine, immediately call one of the phone numbers listed at the ATM for help.
For more information, contact the Anti-Corruption Hotline on 0800 701 701, send an SMS to the Crime Line 32211 or contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
