Brakpan police have issued a warning to the public following an incident in which senior citizens were allegedly defrauded by a group posing as supermarket employees and unlawfully signing victims up for insurance policies.

Brakpan SAPS Sector 1 manager and communications officer Constable Audrey Buthelezi explained that a group of about 20 men and women recently visited The Love Ones of God, a care centre and non-profit organisation in Sherwood Gardens, under false pretences.

“They told the senior citizens at the centre that they were running a promotion and by just providing an ID number and having a picture taken, they could receive a R1 500 grocery voucher,” she said.

According to Buthelezi, around 60 senior citizens residing at the centre unsuspectingly complied in the hope of receiving the grocery vouchers. None of them received such a voucher.

“After the senior citizens received their monthly SASSA payments, each one of them noticed a deduction of different amounts, and none of them knew what the deduction was for,” she said.

Buthelezi told the Brakpan Herald that the managers of the centre contacted the police seeking assistance. She, together with CPF Sector 1 chairperson Simon Mabuse, stepped in to help the affected pensioners.

“The SASSA office was contacted and after explaining what had occurred, they discovered that the deductions with a SASSA reference had been implemented on each one of their accounts and the beneficiary is an insurance policy,” said Buthelezi.

She said SAPS services were offered at the centre, where all documents requested by SASSA were collected from each pensioner in an attempt to reverse the unlawful deductions and stop the debit orders.

Following the incident, Buthelezi visited local old age homes to alert them about the group of fraudsters. She also visited the local branch of the supermarket the group claimed to represent.

“The manager confirmed that their company is not running any such promotion and the group is definitely not their employees,” said Buthelezi.

“The manager also confirmed that they heard about the group recently when one customer came to their office saying a group of people approached her just outside the store with the same modus operandi.”

Brakpan police are appealing to the public for any information that may help identify the group.

“They wear formal clothes, most of the time black and white. They are very well presented and act professionally. They target old age homes and shopping centres,” said Buthelezi.

She urged old age homes to tighten security measures and to avoid allowing anyone onto their premises to sell goods or services to pensioners without first verifying their authenticity.

“Malls and shopping complex patrons should always be on alert and remember to never give out their personal information to anyone,” she said.

Brakpan SAPS extended its thanks to Mabuse and the SASSA office for their prompt response to the matter and assistance provided.

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