Some of the most frequent scams include fake bank notifications or paying money into scammers’ accounts where after they close the accounts and disappear with the money.

• In Gauteng, Pretoria West police have called on residents to be careful when purchasing or selling their cars online.

Police spokesperson Constable Sibongile Vuma says they have recently opened several cases of fraud relating to online car sales scams.

Vuma says in one of the incidents a victim from their policing area posted a car ad online and it attracted someone who he thought was a genuine person.

“They agreed on the price online and met so that they could exchange papers and money. The person told him he was going to send him the money via an app.”

Vuma says the victim received a bank notification alerting him that the amount of money they had agreed on had been deposited into his bank account.

“The following day when he tried to withdraw the money, he found that the money was not in the account. He went to the bank and they told him that there was never such an amount,” she says.

“The victim was scammed with a fake bank notification SMS.

“We still do not know how they do it, but it has become a common thing that victims receive fake bank notifications that money has been deposited in the account only to find out it is not true when they try to use the money,” Vuma said.

She cautioned people who wanted to buy cars online to physically visit the car dealership before paying for the car.

Vuma said in some incidents the scammers go to the dealerships to take pictures of the cars pretending that they work in those dealerships.

• In KwaZulu-Natal, Kwadukuza police also warns that fraud related to transactions on social media have been increasing.

KwaDukuza SAPS communications officer, Priya Nunkumar, says people must be wary of websites offering things that are too good to be true.

In some cases, the buyer makes contact on social media with the seller, and once the deal has been confirmed, the buyer makes payment to a fraudulent bank account, the seller withdraws the money, and disappears without a trace,’ she says.

“To avoid being scammed when buying a vehicle on social media platforms, the buyer must request a police clearance certificate before negotiating.

“The request for a deposit or an upfront payment should be a red flag, as well as reluctance from the seller to provide more contact information.

“Potential buyers must always insist on viewing the vehicle physically but must ensure the meeting venue is safe and secure.”

Nunkumar adds that, when buying an item on social media, it’s important to check where the seller lives.

“If the seller is on a local sales page but does not live near you, that is a red flag.”

She says other signs are when a seller has a lot of friends or just a few with names that sound made-up; or if the post has no identifying personal profile picture.