THE police in Wentworth have issued yet another stern warning to the public to be wary of buying goods online due to an increasing number of fraud cases reported at the station.

Police spokesperson in Wentworth, Captain Mbuso Gumede, said Merebank residents are falling victim to online scams.

Also read: Merebank resident raises South African flag high in India

“Many people are falling victim to social media scams, where products are advertised for sale. The unsuspecting victims are always asked to deposit money into the advertiser’s account. After depositing the money, they do not receive the items they paid for, and the scammers make off with their cash.

Due to the increase in this crime, the police urge the public to verify the legitimacy of these advertisements by doing the following:

1. Always deal only on legitimate social media sites.
2. Don’t rush to make payment via EFT, verify the account details with your bank first.
3. Always insist on meeting in a public place to view the product and complete transactions.
4. Always check the seller’s profile thoroughly.

Note the following key red flags:

• Deals that are too good to be true – prices are very low.
• Insistence by seller to move conversation to text or email. This is done to avoid being detected by social media security.
• Empty or suspicious profiles that do not have many page views or activities.
• Seller requesting your personal information.
• Seller pressuring for upfront payment – be aware of seller who wants a deposit or payment upfront before meeting to inspect the products.
• Avoid unusual payment methods such as gift cards or other non-standard methods of payments.
• Refusal to meet in person or in public places to view items.
• Exaggerated urgency – if the seller is pressuring you to finalise the sale agreement quickly.
• Be wise before you enter into any sale agreement, and always follow and trust your instinct.

Also read: Wentworth police raise awareness on GBV

“Let us make every effort to protect our hard-earned money by being prudent and asking advice from professional institutions before entering into any sale agreement,” Gumede added.

To report fraud, call the police on:

Crimestop number: 0860010111.

Wentworth Police Station: 031 451 6240, 031 451 6241 or 031 451 6242.

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.