The police warns the public to beware of fraudsters operating on social media, waiting to con unsuspecting people out of their hard-earned money.
Captain Fadila September, spokesperson for Hermanus police, reported there has been a surge of fraud cases in recent weeks.
“In some cases people lose money when they pay for goods that were advertised on social media and then they don’t receive it,” she stated.
“People are also swindled out of large amounts of money when con artists convince them to invest in crypto currency like bitcoin, which the victims never receive.”
Other methods of conning people out of their money, said September, include scam artists who pose as officials working for the banks’ fraud departments.
She warned: “Please do not provide personal information such as your bank account and pin numbers when receiving such a call, rather contact your bank immediately to report this.”
In one case, September related, a woman was conned out of R17 000 over a period, after responding to a message informing her she had to pay a certain amount of money to receive a Sassa grant.
People desperate for government housing opportunities have also fallen prey to scammers using this modus operandi, said September.
“You do not have to pay any money to qualify for Sassa or to be put on a waiting list for housing,” she warned.
Other tips to safeguard yourself are:. Never give your bank card, pin number, bank account number or part thereof, the expiry date on the card or the three-digit number on the back of your card to anyone.. When you apply for a loan you do not have to deposit money before you can receive the loan amount.. Money cannot grow in a suitcase. Avoid traditional healers who claim they can make your money “grow”.. It is a scam when you have to pay money to inherit money.
If you believe you have been defrauded, contact your nearest police station or call the Anti-Corruption Hotline on 0800 701 701, Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or send an SMS to the Crime Line on 32211.
