Paarl police have cautioned residents, following an increase in fraudulent activities in recent months, not to be misled by people through links in their emails, SMS messages, and social media. These, once clicked on, lead to fake websites aimed at stealing personal and financial information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This according to Paarl police spokesperson Captain Louise du Plessis, who warned residents not to click on unknown links, for this is how several mobile users have been defrauded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe reported crimes are linked mostly to banking scams where one is contacted by a person representing one\u2019s bank telephonically or via SMS, informing one there are fraudulent activities taking place on your account (mostly credit cards).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne has to provide banking details to reverse or stop the transactions. Once this information is provided one\u2019s money is stolen from the account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe public should never open links they receive via SMS or email if they are not familiar with the company or product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe important lesson for any person who does not want to become a victim of cyber crime is to ensure you do not say yes to any form of transaction or purchases without establishing the authenticity of the person who you are dealing with online.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Specialist private investigator Mike Bolhuis said in a recent statement that another prevalent form of deception is a \u201cwork-from-home\u201d scam orchestrated by cunning fraudsters preying on job seekers\u2019 trust and financial vulnerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith the rise of remote work opportunities, individuals increasingly seek employment from the comfort of their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHowever, amid the legitimate job offers one also finds sinister schemes designed to exploit unsuspecting individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bolhuis said scammers typically target potential victims through enticing advertisements on social media platforms like Facebook and other online forums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese ads promise lucrative work-from-home opportunities with seemingly reputable companies, often in industries such as construction, customer service or administrative roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnce contacted, the scammers request personal information such as CVs, IDs, and, crucially, bank account details under the guise of legitimate hiring procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After successfully gaining the victim\u2019s trust. the scammers present a plausible scenario in which the victim handles financial transactions on behalf of the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This may include disbursing supplier payments, processing employee salaries or distributing commissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnknown to the victim these transactions are part of a larger fraudulent scheme, such as a Ponzi scheme, where stolen funds are laundered through unsuspecting individuals\u2019 bank accounts,\u201d Bolhuis pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He advised job seekers to be more proactive about vetting companies who contact them via SMS or email and exercise the necessary caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLegitimate businesses have a verifiable online presence, including official websites, contact information as well as reviews from employees or customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBe wary of providing sensitive information such as ID numbers and bank account details without conducting thorough due diligence on the employer. If the job offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Paarl police have cautioned residents, following an increase in fraudulent activities in recent months, not to be misled by people through links in their emails, SMS messages, and social media. 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