Flirtatious messages or an offer to get back something that was stolen, was the bait used in recent scams to con Sinoville residents out of their hard-earned money.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk said online scams were prevalent in the cases reported at Sinoville police station this month.
“The scam most often reported is that of persons obtaining compromising information and photos from their victims and then blackmailing them for money,” said Van Dyk.
“It seems this ‘nude pictures’ scam is increasing again and targets especially men from the age of 20 up to 60.”
Van Dyk said this particular scam was reported by at least five victims in the past week.
ALSO READ: Public warned against bank card scam perpetrators
“The scammer, usually posing as a young, attractive woman, would start a conversation with the victim on an online platform. They would entice their target into sending messages and often naked pictures, which they will then use to blackmail their victims with.”
Under threat of leaking the explicit information and pictures online or sending it to a spouse and family members, victims would often pay large sums of money for the scammer to keep quiet.
“Only this never works, because as soon as you’ve paid the scammer, they will continually ask for money,” said Van Dyk.
“If you have fallen victim to this scam, it is best to come clean about it to your family or spouse. Under no circumstances should you pay the scammer, as you will not be able to get your money back.”
Van Dyk said men and women should be wary of who they sent messages to online.
“If you do not know the person, you cannot trust them. Never share compromising information and explicit photos with anyone online, as this could be used against you should the relationship go sour or it turns out to be a scam.”
Another scam that surfaced recently, said Van Dyk, was the “recovered stolen vehicle” scam.
“Basically, people would get a call or message from the scammer posing as a police officer, telling them their stolen vehicle had been found and if they want it back they’d have to pay a fee.”
ALSO READ: Eersterust residents warned to beware of jewellery scam
He said one such scam was reported last week.
“First indication that it is a scam: police members may not ask money from the public. No police officer is allowed to charge a fee for delivering the vehicle or whatever other reason.
“Best way to check before falling for this scam, is to call the police station.”
Van Dyk said there were various online scams people needed to watch out for.
“The most important thing to remember is: if it sounds too good to be true, then it is.
“Online scammers are difficult to trace and often use various platforms and devises with different profiles to target their victims. The best way to stop these scams is for people to avoid falling for them.”
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: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
