Residents in and around the west side of Pretoria are being urged to refrain from using social media to purchase goods, as a rise in bogus salespeople has been noted in recent crime trends.
The Pretoria West police station’s spokesperson, Constable Sibongile Vuma, said first-year students attending TUT and other institutions are often targets of these chancers, who rely on the youth’s inexperience to carry out their scams.
Shady online dealings can leave students hoping to use their money to purchase tools needed for education, be subjected to robberies or scams, leaving them empty-handed.
“We want to plead with residents, especially the first-year students of TUT, to refrain from using online spaces like Facebook Market and Instagram shopping for laptops or iPhones. The specials for students are mostly run by scammers who target them,” Vuma said.
“To ensure the person is legit, request to meet at the nearest police station to finalise the purchase, especially when buying a vehicle advertised on social platforms. This gives you a chance to verify if the car exists or not, and you get to buy what you see,” Vuma advised.
Purchasing from reputable and accredited online stores remains a viable solution; however, purchasing from community online spaces should be an incentive to exercise caution.
Another trend Vuma made note of is bogus police officers and detectives charging motorists for the release of their stolen/hijacked vehicles.
Vuma said this is something SAPS never does and urged residents to report the said individual requiring payment for the release of their vehicle.
She urged motorists to be vigilant. If you are a carjacking victim, never be deceived into paying after getting a phone call from a person claiming to be an officer, using the reference number.
“This is the new crime trend that the scammers use. There is no way we [police] can request any form of payment for towing, claiming we have recovered your hijacked/stolen vehicle, no matter the distance it’s found, nor by using cash send, bank account or Money Market,” Vuma said.
“If the police find your vehicle, the police shall contact you. You, as the owner, must bring along your documents to show your the rightful owner. That’s all.”
Vuma advised buyers to pay upon delivery for the online orders for their safety.
What to watch out for: If the seller requests a payment using Money Market without you seeing the product first, is a big no-no.
Avoid purchases requiring you to make payments through Money Markets or to send cash.
Verify the dealership in case of purchasing through online advertisements.
Verify the vehicle’s details with your SAPS vehicle pound or perhaps police station, whether it is not a stolen or hijacked vehicle or an own-made vehicle with false information.
Vuma advised students who like using the Tymbank account: be vigilant of such and opt for payment on delivery.
The community is encouraged to feel free to visit the Pretoria West police station to enquire about the services they offer to the community, where they can also report any crime happening, anonymously if they so wish.
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