SAPS in Nelson Mandela Bay District are warning social media users to be vigilant of being scammed through various platforms.
According to police spokesperson, Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg, it has been noted that recently many victims falling prey to these scams within the Nelson Mandela Bay District.
She said that one of the most common scams are false advertisements on sites such as Facebook/Gumtree/Marketplace, etc.
“In these cases, the potential buyer will respond to the advert.
“The buyer will then indicate that he/she is interested in the item and request the banking details of the seller.
“The seller will then receive a WhatsApp screenshot as “proof” that the payment was done, the money was deposited into his/her account, and the buyer will arrange that he or she will send someone to collect the item from the seller,” she added.
“Meanwhile, the WhatsApp screenshot is fake and no money was in actual fact deposited into the account of the owner.
“A courier will then arrive at your home to collect the parcel from the seller.
“The seller then only realises that he or she had been scammed hours later when the money does not reflect in his or her account.
“By then he or she, seller, has lost control of the item,” she revealed.
SAPS in Nelson Mandela Bay District are warning social media users to be vigilant of being scammed through various platforms.
According to police spokesperson, Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg, it has been noted that recently many victims have fallen prey to these scams within the Nelson Mandela Bay District.
She said that one of the most common scams involves false advertisements on sites such as Facebook, Gumtree, Marketplace, etc.
“In these cases, the potential buyer will respond to the advert. The buyer will then indicate that he/she is interested in the item and request the banking details of the seller. The seller will then receive a WhatsApp screenshot as ‘proof’ that the payment was made, the money was deposited into his/her account, and the buyer will arrange for someone to collect the item from the seller,” she added.
“Meanwhile, the WhatsApp screenshot is fake, and no money was actually deposited into the account of the owner. A courier will then arrive at your home to collect the parcel from the seller. The seller only realises that he or she has been scammed hours later when the money does not reflect in his or her account. By then, the seller has lost control of the item,” she revealed.
Janse van Rensburg further added that police are alerting residents to take note of the following hints to prevent them from becoming victims of these scams:
• Never provide your bank account number and details to a stranger. Instead, arrange for a cash transaction/meeting between the buyer and seller, preferably in a secure environment. Never release the item on sale until the money has been cleared into your account. Proof of payment is insufficient in cases where sale transactions are done through the aforementioned sites.
• Never respond to emails or cellphone messages appearing to be from your bank, which request your personal details. Remember that no bank will ever ask you to confirm or update your account details by email.
• Never provide your ID number, banking details, passwords, or PIN to anyone and never write them down or share them. • Do not save your Internet banking password on your desktop.
• Do not leave your computer unattended after you have entered your Internet banking password.
• Always log off or sign off at the end of a session.
• Avoid doing Internet banking in public areas such as Internet cafés, or on any computer that can be accessed by people you do not know.
• Change your PIN and passwords frequently.
• Set sensible transaction limits on your accounts.
• Only provide your credit card details to reputable companies.
• If it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
• Banks will never call you from cell phone numbers and request that you go on your app to reverse certain fraudulent transactions that have occurred on your account.
• Never share OTPs. NEVER send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust. Suspects in these cases are, in most cases, difficult to trace.
Anyone who has any information on crime are requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111. Callers may remain anonymous and all information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
