Money scam a cause for concern says police
Residents in the Sekhukhune District must be on the lookout for a scam in which they easily lose big amounts of money.
Dan Mdluli
LIMPOPO – Residents in the Sekhukhune District must be on the lookout for a scam in which they easily lose big amounts of money.
The Groblersdal police in the Sekhukhune District are concerned about the number of victims, often the elderly, falling prey to criminals who trick their victims into losing cash in this policing area.
WO Stanley Magaela, Groblersdal police spokesperson, said a notable increase in this scam has been noted. It entails the scamsters tricking their victims in believing they would lose their money if they do not perform a ritual to protect it. This is after victims around town are smeared with an unidentified wax, mostly while shopping.
How the scam works
“The modus operandi in all cases is the same. The criminals target their victims and smear them with an unidentified wax. The tricksters will then point out to the potential victim some of their partners and claim they are police officers who can help them protect their money after they noticed they’ve been smeared with the wax.
“The victims are encouraged to consult a traditional healer together with bogus police officers to perform a ritual in order to protect the money from turning into worthless papers. The bogus police officers ask the victims to wait at the station with envelopes with their money before the so-called ritual.
“The bogus police officers let their victims believe they will later help them open the envelopes believed to be still carrying the cash. When the victims open the envelopes, often slices of bread or papers are found stacked in them, with all the real money gone.”
Elderly victims of the scam
Magaela added the latest victim of the scam is a 56-year-old man who was smeared with the wax on Monday. The tricksters then made him believe he would lose all of his R7 000 if he does not perform a ritual at a traditional healer.
The victim later found papers cut like banknotes stacked inside the envelope in which he had kept his cash before the ritual performance.
Recently, a 72-year-old woman was tricked into losing R80 000 in cash after the criminals convinced her she would lose all her money in the bank if she do not perform a ritual at a traditional healer known to them. The elderly woman noticed she was smeared with an unidentified wax while shopping in the town.
Magaela added the perpetrators persuaded the woman to withdraw all the money in her bank account over a period of two days.
The two elderly victims refused to speak to CV fearing victimisation.
Magaela appealed to the community to be on the lookout for the tricksters and not become victims.
