In a voice message that was recorded by a man identifying himself as Warrant Officer Du Plessis, the message warns that a scam is currently taking place outside shopping centres, including Shoprite and Boxer, where scammers who identify themselves as Vodacom representatives offer a promotion of 5GB data bundles and a doctor’s appointment.

The scammers then allegedly request your phone and proceed to take out your sim card and battery, where they write down the IMI number. They then proceed to access your bank account and transfer money via a cash send.

The man warns that they transfer “your whole salary” and that they advise you to keep your phone switched off for two hours, meaning you are unaware of the transaction.

According to recent scam alerts published by Vodacom on potential scams and hoaxes, this particular scam was unverified.

It could also be reliably confirmed that the Warrant Officer Du Plessis is not a member of the Middelburg SAPS, nor that such scams have been reported locally.
It has, however, been established that the SAPS’s Commercial Branch has been made aware of the scam alert.