Camps Bay police have recorded an increase in fraud-related cases, and are warning residents, especially seniors who fall prey to these scams, to remain vigilant.
Camps Bay police station commander, Captain Liaan Janse van Rensburg, said fraud cases of the following nature have been reported:
- Fraudsters posing as bank employees, where the victim will receive a phone call, and the person on the other end will introduce themselves as an investigator or employee of a bank fraud department. They will then tell the victim that they had noticed fraudulent transactions on the complainant's account, and request the complainant to follow certain links to stop these fraudulent transactions. When the complainant follows the prompts, money will then be removed from their account.
- Fraudsters impersonating police officers or government officials, randomly calling and identifying themselves as an official working at the South African Police Service, the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks), or National Prosecuting Authority. The scammer will then inform the victim that they are investigating a serious offence against the victim and that they have a warrant of arrest. These fraudsters will advise the victim that they can make the warrant of arrest disappear, but the victim needs to immediately pay a huge amount of money via EFT or cash send. Threats will then be made to the victim that the prosecutor is waiting for the money, or they will come and arrest the victim at their residence.
- Social media advert scams in which the victim would usually be advertising an item for sale, to which the suspected scammer responds and asks for a further conversation on WhatsApp. The scammer will then inform the victim that they will send someone to collect the item and they will then make payment. In the majority of these cases, the scammer claims to send his brother, who will then arrive at the residence, check the product and call the scammer to say the item is in good condition. The scammer then sends a fake proof of payment. After the item is taken by the brother, the victim will notice that there was no payment made into their account.
- Another scam is fake advertised holiday accommodation, where the victim will pay for the listed holiday and on arrival, they will notice that the premises are not holiday accommodation, or the premises don't exist.
The following precautions can be taken to protect yourself from being scammed:
- Do not to entertain phone calls from banks and to rather visit your bank or call the bank fraud line for assistance.
- Do not provide your personal details over the telephone to strangers.
- When advertising items for sale, ensure that the money is paid into your account before releasing items.
- Always do transactions or sales in a safe environment, or have friends or family present for safety.
- Members of the SAPS, Hawks or National Prosecuting Authority will never request any person to make a payment via EFT or cash send. If an “official” calls you with this information, drop the call and block it, and call or visit the nearest police station for assistance.
- With holiday accommodation, residents are advised to verify the property listing and the rental agent/owner through independent research. Use reputable booking platforms, and always be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. Compare images with online maps to confirm existence, and also check for reviews and testimonials from other customers on booking platforms.