Residents in the north of Pretoria are warned to be on the lookout for scams this festive season.
Sinoville police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk said elderly people were especially vulnerable to opportunistic swindlers wanting to take advantage of people’s good faith.
“Scams are not often reported but that does not mean they are not a problem,” said Van Dyk.
“There are many methods used to scam people. A known (common) complaint is that people steal money after obtaining personal information or banking details.”
Van Dyk said senior citizens should especially be wary of who they gave their banking details to.
“No bank would phone or SMS you to confirm your personal information. Trust no one with your pin,” Van Dyk had advised earlier this year, after reports of SMS scams.
ALSO READ: Pretoria con artists run scam from jail
Social media users were also warned against sharing personal details about themselves with strangers.
Earlier this year, police warned – especially men – to be wary of the social media honeytrap.
“In one scam, a stranger would pretend to be an attractive person – usually of the opposite sex – on social media.
“They would beguile their victims into an intimate online relationship, often persuading them to share compromising information or photographs.
ALSO READ: North woman blows whistle on jewellery scam
“As soon as the scammer has enough incriminating evidence, he or she would start blackmailing the victim – threatening to reveal the messages or photographs to a spouse, relative or employer.”
Van Dyk said in all scams – whether online, SMS or face-to-face – con-artists would do just about anything to win their victims’ trust.
“They might make an appealing offer, often money, to entice their victim,” Van Dyk said.
“I would advise that people trust their instincts. If something seems too good to be true, it most likely is.”
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
