Watch out for online fraud
Douglasdale police issued a warning to residents after noting a rise in online fraudulent activities.
There is no doubt that The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has transformed the way we live and work, enabling the rise of e-commerce platforms that have revolutionised the way we shop, bank, and interact with businesses.
These online channels have brought unparalleled convenience and accessibility to consumers, but they have also created new opportunities for fraudsters to exploit unsuspecting victims.
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Unfortunately, this has been the case for several residents in the Douglasdale area, who have reported several cases of online fraud to the local police over the past few months. The police are currently investigating these incidents and working to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Douglasdale Police Station said perpetrators reportedly pretend to be bank employees and indicate to the victim that there is a suspicious transaction on his or her account and that their funds need to be transferred to another account.
The victim then subsequently shares their banking details with the fraudster. Shortly after, large amounts of money are then fraudulently transferred out of the victim’s account.
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The police appeal to all community members to guard against online banking scams. Also importantly, bank employees will never request personal information from their clients telephonically or via an SMS.
They highlighted another rapidly growing fraud trend of online purchases where the fraudsters lure unsuspecting victims through false advertisements, often requesting them to make payments through transfers or deposits before viewing or receiving the goods.
“Community members are advised to rather conclude the transaction after verifying the seller’s legitimate details. We would also like to advise the community to always be vigilant at ATMs and not to ask for help from strangers but rather to ask for assistance from a bank employee or bank security guards.”
Furthermore, community members are encouraged to report criminal activities to Douglasdale police on 011 6991333, 071 675 7158 or SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or anonymously through the MySAPS app.
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