The South African Police Service in the Western Cape has issued a warning about an ongoing telephone scam in which fraudsters are cloning the official office number of the Western Cape Provincial Commissioner to deceive and intimidate victims.
The scammers are using technology to make the caller ID display the police’s legitimate provincial office number, 021 417 7148, creating the false impression that calls originate from the police.
How the scam operates
Victims receive calls, sometimes via video call, from individuals impersonating police officers who are dressed in police uniform. The fake officers falsely accuse victims of being linked to a parcel allegedly intercepted at an airport containing contraband.
Through intimidation and threats of arrest or prosecution, victims are then coerced into paying large sums of money to “resolve” the matter.
The scam is not confined to the Western Cape, with similar cases reported across the country. The compromise and misuse of the provincial commissioner’s telephone number is currently under investigation, along with the reported cases linked to this scam.
What SAPS will never do
Colonel Andrè Traut, provincial police spokesperson, emphasises that police officials will never demand money to prevent arrest or prosecution, nor will they request payments via telephone or video calls.
The public is advised to always verify the identity and credentials of anyone claiming to be a police official, and to be aware that the caller ID 021 417 7148 is currently being fraudulently used in this scam.
Reporting suspected scammers
The public is urged to remain vigilant and to immediately report any encounter with suspected scammers to their nearest police station or to Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
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