Man posing as Umhlali police captain cons victims out of thousands of Rands
Residents are cautioned to be wary of an impostor posing as Umhlali police spokesperson Captain Vinny Pillay.
The man impersonating Umhlali police spokesperson Captain Vinny Pillay has scammed over 50 people across the province.
Captain Pillay said that the most recent incidents, which occurred on Monday, involved a Tongaat resident paying the imposter R3 000, and two Ballito residents paying him R2 000 and R9 000, respectively.
The imposter typically calls business owners soliciting donations for the needy, instructing them to transfer funds to his personal account, using either Capitec or Timebank.
However, most victims sent him eWallet transfers.
Initially, the imposter identified himself as Captain Vinny Naidoo, but now he uses Pillay’s correct name, providing a different account number.
“I wish people would stop falling for this scam. It’s really worrying and demotivating me from conducting outreach programmes. How can you ask for donations when someone is scamming people in your name?” said Pillay.
The imposter also claims to be the station’s designated firearms officer (DFO), promising to expedite firearm applications and offering guns at discounted prices.
Anyone with information that could assist the police is urged to contact Umhlali Saps at 032 947 9900.
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