DETECTIVES in KwaZulu-Natal are warning members of the public to steer clear of people who are intent on conning them out of their hard earned cash through various scams.

Provincial SAPS spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala said it was disturbing to find that members of the public are willing to hand over their money to people who claim to be involved in illegal activities such as dealing in precious metals and stones.

The warning comes after detectives were reportedly swamped with cases involving people who have been swindled out of large sums of money by con artists.

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In one of the most recent cases, a 39-year-old Durban man was deceived and robbed of a large amount of cash by criminals in Richards Bay.

“It is alleged that the victim was lured from Durban to Richards Bay to purchase platinum. He was presented with a bar which he was made to believe contained platinum. After negotiations, he handed over the cash and was told to wait at a mall for the delivery of the merchandise. The delivery did not materialise and when he tried to contact the fraudsters, their phones were switched off. A case of theft by false pretences was opened for further investigation,” she said.

According to Gwala these scams are rife and offers that are too good to be true turn out to be not true.

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“Residents are urged not to commit crimes by investing in illegal deals that involve precious stones and metals. Anyone who is approached by such con artists are urged to contact their local police or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.”

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