MPUMALANGA – The police request residents to be vigilant as the festive season draws closer and fraud cases exacerbate in Mpumalanga.
Brig Selvy Mohlala, the spokesman for the Mpumalanga police, said they are concerned about the increased number of fraud cases despite previous warnings which were issued.
“Police have received several reports in the past week about fraudsters conning people by posting advertisements for car sales on Facebook.
“They convince the unsuspecting public who are interested in buying the vehicles, to deposit a certain amount of money before it can be delivered.
“The fraudsters will withdraw the money and disappear without delivering the car,” he said.
According to him in other incidents, they convince the victims to join an investment scheme by depositing a certain amount of cash; they promise greater or double returns on the investment.
He said sometimes the victims are offered cash loans, but they are told to deposit a certain amount of money before the loan is released.
This trend has been seen in Mbombela.
The community is requested to approach a reputable car dealership when they want to purchase a vehicle.
“We request the community to be vigilant, do proper research and not to rely on social media posts or advertisements when they want to purchase a car or any other item.
“Most importantly, people are requested not to deposit or send money to people they have never met,” said Lt Gen Semakaleng Manamela, the provincial commissioner of Mpumalanga.
Residents with information that can assist police in their investigation should contact Det Col Ernest Maoka on 082 318 9843 or they can call the toll-free number on 086 001 0111.
Alternatively they can send information via the MySAPS App which can be downloaded to any smartphone.
All information will be treated with strictest confidentiality and callers may opt to remain anonymous.
