Another case of online scamming has been reported to the Midrand Police Station. This is the fourth since April this year.
In an incident reported to the police on 5 August, a man described falling victim to a scam very similar to those reported in this publication over the past four months.
According to the man’s account to police, he saw a Ford Bantam bakkie for sale on a website in July this year and contacted the seller to show his interest in buying the vehicle.
The seller asked the man to deposit R9 000 into a bank account to secure the purchase, after which the vehicle would be delivered to the buyer.
“He deposited the amount on 29 July and waited for the seller to deliver the vehicle,” said Constable Thabiso Selowa of the Midrand Police Station.
“After the payment was made, the suspect [seller] was nowhere to be found and there was no answer on his cell phone or in response to voicemails.
“The community must be aware of such scams and before they make payment [for an online purchase] they must ask the seller to meet with them at the nearest police station.”
Similar reports have been coming in all year. On 8 April, a Kyalami man attempting to purchase a white Corolla online was asked to pay R11 500 towards the vehicle but became suspicious when the ‘seller’ claimed the amount had not gone through and requested that the buyer remake payment.
On 28 May, a second Kyalami resident trying to purchase a Toyota Corolla for
R25 000 was contacted by the supposed seller and asked to transfer half the amount (R12 500) from his bank account as a deposit for the vehicle. After doing so, he too was unable to reestablish contact with the buyer and never received the car.
On 9 July, the third known victim who was attempting to purchase a Volkswagen Golf 3 without a registration number, reported his experience to the same police station.
He was first asked by the seller to transfer R14 000 deposit for the car, before being contacted again by the same man to make a further deposit of R20 000 into the same account.
After the second payment, the man waited to have the car delivered and eventually contacted the police.
In all the cases, no suspect or suspects have been arrested.
Although the incidents are all similar, according to Selowa, the investigating officers believe that the crimes are being carried out by different scammers, not the same person or a syndicate.
She once again urged online buyers to exercise caution. “Community members should refrain from buying items that are advertised online and social media, as there is no guarantee that the items will be received. They must know and understand the risks involved when engaging in online purchases,” Selowa concluded.
Related article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/fourways-review/286132/online-fraud-scams-need-know/
