The Kagiso Police issued a warning to the community about a number of scams that are doing the rounds. “We wish to warn and raise awareness about scams that have been showing their ugly faces.”
Captain Solomon Sibiya, Kagiso Police spokesperson, explained some of the scams they have dealt with recently.
“Some of the scams involve criminals using victims’ details to buy expensive goods like furniture, cars, clothing and jewellery, expensive whisky and more,” he said.
In other cases victims would be contacted anonymously and asked to deposit cash in return for employment. Another well-known scam entails a bogus senior police officer calling a victim and demanding him or her to pay a cash deposit to get back a stolen car after it had been recovered by police.
Some use print or digital media platforms to lure their victims into believing they are the best prophets ever. Arrangements are then made to meet, and the victims will be advised to withdraw their hard-earned cash or investments so they will be blessed for purposes of growth and safety,” explained Sibiya.
He said another scam slowly rearing its ugly head is fake officials arriving at your residence and requesting you to submit a comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV) and copies of your identity document to get you ready for an interview for a job you applied for. Victims are then caught off guard with their documents not being up to date, and they can’t remember the last time they applied for an job.
Sibiya said criminals will then advise the victims to accompany them to an internet cafe to update their documents. Once the victims agree and follow them to the shop they will come up with an excuse to leave the victims there on their own. While the victims are then busy updating their CVs the others will rush back to your house, break in and steal from you.
“We urge our people to be more than cautious during this period. Criminals will do anything to get their hands on your cash or belongings. Always ask for a second opinion before committing to any expensive purchase. Also do not believe everything strangers tell you,” Brigadier Themba Maduna of the Kagiso Police urged members of the public.
