THE Durban North police station has warned residents to be wary and not to fall victim to extortion scams where suspects pretend to be police officers from the station.

This was raised at a recent community imbizo involving the Durban North SAPS station management.

The meeting at the Wings Club at Virginia Airport was led by Lieutenant Colonel Pam Nair, the Visible Policing (Vispol) Commander of Durban North SAPS.

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“We are urging the community not to fall for these phone calls. The people calling are not police officers and often use the station as their hook. If you have a concern, we urge you to contact the station to verify. There are times when officers legitimately call you down to the station to discuss statements but we never ask for money over the phone or tell you to pay a certain amount to resolve a case speedily,” she said.

Darryl Oliver, public relations officer for the Durban North CPF, offered more information on the scam.

“The extortion scam involves a ‘detective’ or ’investigating officer’ making contact with a victim via WhatsApp message or call. They claim to be in possession of a warrant for your arrest. The ‘charges’ are normally one that would solicit panic and fear such as rape or sexual assault.

“The detective claims that he can make it disappear and help you if you pay some money. If you are approached by a person claiming to be an officer from SAPS, suggest or make your way to your local station’s community service centre or charge office,” he said.

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