Douglasdale CPF advises community to be vigilant
Douglasdale CPF has poured cold water on a post doing the rounds in the community groups.
Douglasdale CPF has denied rumours that there is a group of individuals posing as Home Affairs officials who are robbing people in the area.
According to Freda Boiles, the marketing officer of the police forum, there is a message circulating in the community group chats that have left many of the community members in a state of panic.
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It reads, “Beware, the bad guys are using the same method again to rob houses. It is the same as with previous elections, just a little more sophisticated. It is a group that is goes door to door pretending to be internal Home Affairs officers. They have the documents on the letterhead of the Department of Home Affairs and claim to confirm that everyone has a valid identity card for the upcoming elections. They loot houses.
“If a person comes [to your] home and says ‘I want to take your photo or thumbprint’ under the scheme ‘Ayushyaman Bharat’…. They have a laptop, a biometric machine and a list of all names. They show [you] a list and ask for all this information. It has been pointed out that all this is bogus. Don’t give any information. I am sending this post for everyone’s information. Everyone should be alert and tell those who are not in the group.”
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Boiles says the message in question is entirely false and lacks any factual basis. She expressed her confusion about the motive behind it and clarified that the message is an edited version of an article that was published on the news website www.thelogicalindian.com several years ago.
“The person who did this was just causing an unnecessary panic under our community members. Therefore, we would like to advise the community not to share unverified information and report any suspicious activities. The message is from an article that was not even happening in South Africa. The online crimes are serious and we advise the community to stay vigilant.”
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