DESPITE several warnings by the Durban North SAPS, residents in the north Durban policing precinct are still falling victim to various scams, including online and vishing scams.

Spokesperson for the police station, Sergeant Nonhlanhla Shozi, highlighted this at a recent community imbizo, a monthly meeting that allows residents to address service delivery issues and raise concerns to the SAPS.

It has also acted as a vehicle for the SAPS to discuss crime patterns and warn residents about certain types of scams.

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According to Shozi, the station has recorded a scam case every week for the last month.

She added that the vishing scam remained the most prominent scam but also urged residents to take note of other scams and be extremely vigilant when it comes to paying for items online or through websites.

Vishing refers to fraudsters using phone calls that trick victims into providing personal information, like passwords or bank details.

“Most of the cases recorded involve the 60+ community. The suspects pose as bank officials and contact you asking you to provide confidential information. In some cases, they allege there’s an issue with your account regarding fraudulent activity and they need your banking details and Pin to rectify the issue. This information is then used to defraud the victim. Banks don’t ask for your account details, password, Pin or the OTP number, so that should be the biggest red flag. If you receive an OTP on your phone and you are asked to provide it, do not tell anyone. Our advice is to contact your bank to verify if your account is secure or to let them know that someone tried to defraud you,” she said.

Another common scam is where unsuspecting buyers are duped into paying large deposits for items such as vehicles or purchasing a pet online that didn’t exist in the first place.

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“We’ve also recorded cases where people have been duped with vehicle and pet purchases. In one of the most recent cases a resident paid a R30 000 deposit for a vehicle he had not seen physically but spotted an advert for it on Facebook. We encourage residents to be wary of fake advertisements on websites. These scams claim to offer used cars for lower than expected prices, but often the cars do not exist. We also caution people from paying large deposits for vehicles they’ve not seen. In the case of puppy scams, we urge residents to trust reputable websites,” she said.

One of the best resources for online pet purchases is to follow the group Puppy Scams in South Africa Facebook page.

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