BEREA police are appealing to residents to be cautious about scam artists operating in the area.  Berea SAPS Captain PN Naidoo said, “Kindly note, we are receiving complaints regarding a scam involving money being dropped in malls. The suspects are usually three well-dressed females at around 30 years of age accompanied by two males pretending to be police officers. The suspects target vulnerable groups across race and gender, mostly females 50 years and older. They will drop a bundle of money near you, and once you pick it up, they will convince you they are police by producing a police badge and a star.”

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According to Naidoo, the suspects will say they are investigating the money found. “They will attempt to put false cases on you and request you to accompany them to the station for further investigation. Once the person accompanies them, they will rob them of their cellphone and all their valuables. They will also request the victim’s password to their cellphone banking app and clean their account. Sometimes, they call the victim’s family for ransom. Once they are successful with their demands, they drop the victim in uMlazi, KwaMashu or Clermont.

“The vehicles used are a grey Polo and a grey Golf. If anyone has information regarding a crime of this nature, please call 083 360 1077,” said Naidoo.

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