Five imposters busted in CBD
The arrest came after the five posed in the street as promotional sales agents for Cell C.
Pretoria Central police have arrested five people for defrauding a customer in the CBD at the weekend.
The arrest came after the five posed in the street as promotional sales agents for Cell C, according to police spokesperson Constable Thabang Nkhumise.
“One victim alleged that he was told that if he bought a SIM card for R40, the suspects would hand him a voucher of R5 000 from Shoprite. They further claimed he will also get 200 gigabytes for six months.”
Nkhumise said the victim agreed to the “deal” and gave the suspects his banking details.
“While the victim was driving back home, he noticed that an amount of R7 500 was debited on his banking account. He immediately went to the police station to report the matter,” he said.
“Speedy reaction by the police led to the arrest of the five suspects at the corner of Paul Kruger and Helen Joseph streets.”
A case of theft under false pretences was immediately opened.
Last week, the Pretoria Central police embarked on an awareness campaign to inform the community of bogus salespersons.
Station commander Brigadier MM Dladla was pleased with the arrest and urged the community to refrain from disclosing their personal details to random people.
He said that the public should rather get into the store and get professional assistance.
“As the festive season is fast approaching, it is important the consumers be alert and are smart with money,” he said.
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Nkhumise warned 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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