Cops warn public of bogus salespeople ahead of ‘festive madness’
Issues such as bogus salespersons, child trafficking and scamming of the consumers/stokvels are addressed.
Pretoria Central police have made the public aware of crime patterns happening within the city especially this time of the year.
Issues such as bogus salespersons, child trafficking and scamming of consumers/stokvels were addressed throughout the week in the streets of Pretoria CBD, said Pretoria Central police spokesperson Constable Thabang Nkhumise.
“A joint effort by the Pretoria Central SAPS members consisting of communication and social crime prevention, in collaboration with Kopano Manyano, embarked on an awareness campaign that concentrated on addressing issues of crime as the festive season approaches,” he said.
Around this time of the year, many shoppers flock into malls looking to buy clothes, furniture and food at affordable prices. Bogus salespersons, commonly known as “Half price” take advantage of unsuspecting consumers.
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They operate inside clothing stores, furniture stores and shopping malls promising to get items for unsuspecting shoppers at half price. As soon as they receive the money, they disappear, police said.
During the campaign, Nkhumise said 350 pamphlets sensitising the community on the dangers of:
– Carrying cash in public, making large sums of withdrawals, sharing cash in public even inside the bank.
– Entertaining unknown people who will pose and identify themselves as salespersons and persuade customers.
– Teenagers should be accompanied in to avoid issues such as kidnapping, fraud and robbery.
– Businesses were also urged to maintain visibility throughout the store, maintain the security system, develop a cash control programme, and also take precautions during closing and opening of the facility.
The community is urged to be more vigilant throughout the festive season and to report any criminal activities anonymously to 08600 10111 or dial 112 further to contact the nearest police station.
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