Central police warn residents about festive scams
Central SAPS say most victims of scammers were targeted online.
As the festive season approaches, the Pretoria Central SAPS are cautioning residents to be wary of bogus salespeople.
Most of the scams reported to the station originated online.
Spokesperson Constable Thabang Nkhumise said that despite the popularity of shopping online, it remains a hotspot for scammers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.
“Various cases of theft under false pretence, fraud and theft have been reported. Be aware that bogus salespersons, fraudsters and scammers will be roaming the streets. It’s understandable that customers currently opt to shop for items on their apps. Technology has evolved so much that scammers come up with various criminal trends to rob people,” Nkhumise.
Nkhumise advised residents to take note that once they’ve received an SMS requesting their banking details it might be a potential scam.
Residents should also take note that once they request a one-time password (OTP) they should immediately refer to their bank for verification.
Station commander Brigadier Hlengani Gibini Mashaba also pleaded with residents to never send their banking information to unverified sources or platforms when shopping online.
“It is of the utmost importance that they check with their banks if the account or transition is legit. We understand that several employees have claimed their two pot money, they should be vigilant and guard their money as fraudsters might pose as companies and defraud them of their money,” said Mashaba.
The station will mobilise and conduct awareness campaigns with businesses and other stakeholders in the CBD in the coming weeks.
For any criminal activities, any person can report to various platforms anonymously so on the crime stop line 08600 10111, dial 112 on any network provider, use the MySAPS app or directly contact the station on 079 880 0880.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@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
