Police warning: If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is
The Krugersdorp Police are urging the public to be vigilant when buying on the Internet.
“If a deal is to good to be true, stay away,” said Sergeant Tshepiso Mashele, Spokesperson for the Krugersdorp Police.
“These kind of cases are not easy to investigate. We are appealing to the communities at large, even outside of Gauteng, to be careful buying property or products using the Internet,” she added.
According to her, there have been a number of unsuspecting victims in Krugersdorp in the past months. They say that they have paid a large sum of money to a dealership with the intention to buy a vehicle. When they then arrive in Krugersdorp, they realise the address provided does not exist, and if they phone the contact number, it no longer works.
Mashele said the modus operandi is the same every time. Buyers use the internet to purchase vehicles and other property. The seller then gives a price that interests the buyer and the buyers are told that if they do not pay the money over, the vehicle will be sold to someone else. Without actually seeing the vehicle, the buyer then transfers the money to an unknown account.
When the buyer then comes to collect the vehicle, they are shocked when they realise they have been deceived.
“We’ve had people from Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Free State claiming to have bought vehicles that do not exist,” explained Mashele.
She urged people to not be over-excited and spend money without the right information. If you are not sure about the transaction, you can always consult with the traffic department and police for advice.
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