SCAMMERS, posing as genuine sellers of items, are increasingly targeting unsuspecting people through e-mails, Facebook adverts, WhatsApp messages and phone calls.
The South African Police Service in Kamesh urge the public to be vigilant and look out for these scams. Phishing and scams are methods of fraudulently obtaining personal information such as passwords, identity numbers and credit card details and look like they come from trusted sources, such as banks or legitimate companies.
According to police spokesperson Captain Gerda Swart, detectives from the Kamesh police are investigating several fraud cases.
“An example of one of the scams is a complainant receiving a telephonic call, requesting him/her to deposit money into the account to secure a space for a job.
“Another scam concerns the complainant who saw an advert online to purchase eggs in bulk and another saw a Wendy House at a reasonable price. Both deposited the required amounts into the accounts before the delivery of the goods. Both never received their goods,” said Captain Swart.
According to Captain Swart, fraudulent vehicle adverts are also on the increase.
“A complaint saw an advert for a blue Toyota Corolla being sold for R28 000 and deposited R15 000 into the account of the motor vehicle company to secure the purchase of the vehicle. The owner of the company informed the complainant that he would courier the vehicle and that he (complainant) must pay the outstanding balance, which he ultimately did. The complainant never received his vehicle and his money was also not refunded,” said Captain Swart.
Police are investigating all these fraud cases that were registered.
What you should do to prevent falling victim to scams and fraud:
. 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 online ID, password or PIN to anyone and never write them down or share them.
. Put sensible transaction limits on your accounts.
. Provide your credit card details only to reputable companies.
. The best way to detect a fake trader or social media online shopping scam is to search for reviews before purchasing
. Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust.
. Do not assume everyone is genuine. It is fine to reject, refuse or ignore any requests.
Anyone who has any information on crime is requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111. Callers may remain anonymous and all information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
ISSUED: SAPS
