Douglasdale Police Station recently welcomed Cecilia Kone Mkhaliphi, who will head the Commercial Crime Unit at the station and will combat the increase in fraud incidents in the area.
Kone Mkhaliphi brings with her 23 years of policing experience which she is intent on using to tackle commercial crimes in the area, which remain a constant issue.
She explained that the number one reason many people got defrauded was due to ignorance.
Kone Mkhaliphi said, “Many people are really fooled by online adverts found on sites such as OLX and Gumtree.”
She explained that she had often worked on cases where people were defrauded out of large amounts of money when looking for a place to rent.
Warrant Officer Balan Muthan, head of communication for the station, urged residents to do some checks before paying money into any account.
Kone Mkhaliphi said, “Always do your research before you venture into any business partnership, as many people continue to be defrauded by bogus companies.”
Muthan explained that fraudulent crimes were highest in suburban or high-class areas.
He also warned residents of a traffic fine scam that was currently making the rounds in Gauteng and other parts of the country.
“There have been reports of people receiving calls and who are told to pay outstanding traffic fines into a certain account. This is not true.”
Muthan urged community members to never pay money into any account and should rather go to the traffic department or nearest post office to check outstanding fines.
