Four people were robbed of R20 000 each this week after falling victim to an online scam while trying to purchase a car.
The victims were told to pay the deposit before meeting with the car dealer at the KwaDukuza police station to conclude the deal.
“This has been happening since January and it is currently unclear whether it is the same person or not.
“Police are still investigating,” said Ilembe SAPS cluster spokesperson constable Sibusiso Khuzwayo.
Also read: Ballito hijacking, driver abandoned in Inanda
Khuzwayo urged residents not to fall into this trap and avoid depositing money into people’s accounts or buying something they have not seen.
This is the second online scam reported this week, after a Ballito resident was scammed out of R3500 after he attempted to buy an “adult doll” that was advertised on Gumtree.
“Cybercrime is any crime that takes place via the Internet and South Africa has some of the highest rates of cybercrime,” said Umhlali SAPS spokesperson captain Vinny Pillay.
“We are seeing more and more cases being reported in Ballito in the past year.
“It is very difficult for police to track down the culprits.
“These kinds of crimes can get more dangerous when people give out their private information like credit card details.”
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