Pretoria residents continue to lose big as online sale fraud rises
A victim lost more than R65 000 in a fraudulent car sale in the east of Pretoria.
A Pretoria resident recently lost R65 000 in a fake vehicle sale, as online scammers continue to rob unsuspecting residents of thousands of rand in fraudulent sales.
In July more than 15 cases of fraudulent sales were reported to the Boschkop police in the east of Pretoria, according to police spokesperson Sergeant Yeroboam Mbatsane.
According to Mbatsane, there was an increase in fraudulent crimes and the majority of these were the sale of vehicles advertised via social media.
He said a man in Silverlakes, east of Pretoria, lost R65 000 in such a vehicle sale scam.
“The victim was introduced by a close friend to a salesman who offered to sell him a brand new VW Polo worth R90 000.
“After meeting the salesman, the victim was convinced and he deposited R65 000 cash electronically.
“He then waited for the delivery which never happened,” Mbatsane said.
Mbatsane said when the victim tried to follow up, the “salesman” could not be contacted.
Fraudulent sales were not only advertised online, but also in newspapers.
“These include romance scams, fake lottery and investment scams.”
Bank-call fraud also continued to be a problem in the area, Mbatsane said.
Over the past two months, many residents lost money in a “bank call” scam that targets individuals with bank debit orders.
“The scammers call people and say they are bank personnel from the bank’s fraud department. They will inform them of a debit order that was incorrectly deducted from the account,” said Mbatsane.
Mbatsane said the scammer would then send a one-time password (OTP) via SMS and ask the unsuspecting individual to give it to them for the transaction to be stopped.
“It is then when the scammers take the money,” he said.
There have been no arrests yet, however, Mbatsane said investigations were at advanced stages.
“If it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is in most cases.
“Scammers may create a sense of urgency to scare you into the scam.
“Residents must not be pressured into making a decision before sending money or bank details to anyone, first discuss it with someone you trust.
“If you believe you have been the target of a scam, report it to the nearest police for assistance.”
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