Shoppers are alerted to a scam targeting customers inside stores.

A Bedfordview resident, Dustine Walker, shared a scam alert originally posted by anti-crime campaigner Yusuf Abramjee, after her mother almost fell victim to it at a Bedfordview shopping centre.

Walker said her mother is usually alert to such scams, but on this particular day, she was approached by a well-dressed gentleman while walking down the shopping aisle.

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“The guy told her they were giving out discount vouchers and just needed her card details. Then another guy came up behind him with a tapping machine, holding it out for her to tap on after asking her to put in her PIN,” Walker narrated.

She added that her mother noticed that the second guy had taken her card and was now holding it very close to his pocket.

Walker’s mom immediately grabbed the tapping machine, and the two men ran away. Walker said her mom phoned her bank and asked them to block the card. She then proceeded to the store management and reported the issue.

Abramjee had posted an alert on March 15 on X, warning shoppers in Pretoria about the scam.

“Suspects reportedly approach shoppers and pretend to be store management, offering a 50% discount.

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“They then convince the customer to tap their bank card on a numerical PIN pad to process the ‘discount’,” he stated.

He said that during the interaction, the scammers observe the PIN being entered and steal the bank card, before quickly disappearing and withdrawing funds from the victim’s account.

Abramjee shared the following safety tips:
• Never hand your bank card to anyone.
• Do not enter your PIN on devices provided by strangers.
• Always confirm promotions directly with store staff.
• If approached, refuse and report the incident immediately.