Con artists ‘bulls-eye’ companies

WHILE community members still fall victim to the unscrupulous ploys of scamsters, losing had-earned cash within minutes to false promises of jobs and ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes, countless con artists are now more focused on swindling ‘big money’ from local businesses.

Speaking at the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZCCI) divisional meeting in Richards Bay on Thursday, Business Against Crime Zululand Manager Dave Whittaker warned company owners to stay alert.

‘There have been cases where companies lost millions to scams,’ said Whittaker.

‘And it is difficult to track down the hoaxer.

‘One business owner lost R100 000 and after she changed the business name (for an unrelated reason) she was again contacted by the same scamster.

‘With no intention to offend local business figures, we are babes in the wood in Richards Bay.

‘We are simply too young and trusting with cunning con artists clearing us out.

‘Do not part with your money without researching an offer or product.’

Whittaker advises Zululanders to ensure IDs are authentic and research any ‘deals’ on scam report and customer complaint sites online such as Hoax Slayer and Hello Peter.

Credit fakers

Fake credit providers have also run rampant, reaching deep into the pockets of thousands of consumers in recent months.

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) sent out a press release on Thursday, raising the alarm bell on any credit providers offering personal loans at lower than average interest rates.

Once the consumer accepts the offers, they demand payment of advance fees.

‘It has come to the attention of the NCR that most of these fake credit providers are based in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and East London and their email addresses contain domains such as yahoo.com; webmail.co.za; .co.uk; @admin.in.th; @manager.in.th.

‘They always promise charging an interest rate of not more than 5% per annum,’ said Takalani Mudau, Acting Manager Complaints Department.

‘In addition to the fake credit providers soliciting loan applications from consumers, the NCR has discovered that consumers surf the Internet to identify credit providers who offer credit to ‘blacklisted’ persons and who use words such as ‘no credit checks required’, ‘free credit’, ‘cheap credit’ and others.

‘It is illegal in terms of the National Credit Act to use these words in advertising credit

‘Consumers who are victims of schemes of this nature are urged to report them to their local South African Police Service (SAPS).’

If unsure or in doubt about the legitimacy of a credit provider, contact the National Credit Regulator on 0860 627 627 or www.ncr.org.za.