PORT ALFRED – More than 70 senior citizens gathered in Port Alfred on 19 August for a fraud awareness campaign aimed at protecting elderly residents from a reported rise in sophisticated imposter scams targeting their life savings.
According to police spokesperson Captain Marius McCarthy, the campaign was hosted by SAPS Port Alfred in collaboration with Absa and sought to educate seniors about the psychological tactics used by fraudsters, as well as how to identify and respond to scams involving telephone calls, fraudulent messages and online phishing.
“This is the stark reality facing local seniors as SAPS in Port Alfred reports an alarming spike in highly sophisticated imposter scams explicitly targeting the town’s elderly residents,” said McCarthy.
He said the initiative, spearheaded by Community Police Officer (CPO) Warrant-Officer Sindy Pienaar, aimed to pull back the curtain on the cruel psychological tricks used by fraudsters and equip senior citizens with the tools needed to protect their life savings.
McCarthy said the crucial event drew a packed audience of more than 70 elderly community members, all gathered to learn how to defend against these invisible thieves.
SAPS management said, “The biggest threat to our seniors is no longer a burglar at the back door; it is a deceptive voice on the telephone or a fraudulent message on a screen.”
“These criminals do not target our elders because they are weak; they target them because they are polite. We are here to tell our community that when a stranger demands your financial details, politeness becomes a trap.”
McCarthy said the comprehensive programme featured expert presentations from the SAPS Port Alfred Fraud Unit, Absa branch management, forensic investigators and a highly experienced private violent crime investigator who is a former SAPS detective.
He said the sessions focused on real-world case studies, bank card safety, digital phishing traps and the immediate, critical steps victims must take if they suspect they are being targeted.
“SAPS urges all residents to remember that reputable banking institutions will never ask for PINs, passwords or urgent fund transfers over the phone,” said McCarthy.
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