NEWCASTLE KZN: Scammers are stalking social media, warns SAPS

Scammers are using social media adverts to defraud residents of their money.

SAPS Newcastle advises residents to be careful of deals they see on social media, following reports of scammers utilising online means to defraud many of their hard-earned cash.

The SAPS Corporate Communications Office explains scammers post advertisements for cars, household appliances, mobile phones, pets, generators and other valuable items on social media and the Internet. Residents, particularly those in dire need or who are desperate, are then being lured in by these ‘unbelievable prices’.

“Vulnerable victims will then engage in some form of communication with these faceless sellers, who then persuade [residents] to urgently make a cash deposit or EFT at the bank before the items are delivered,” said SAPS’s Lizzy Arumugam.

After depositing the money, the scammers confirm they have received payment and then vanish, blocking all forms of communication with their victim. Some scammers even demand more money from their unwitting victims.

SAPS Newcastle urges residents to only do business with reputable traders, shops and dealerships, who operate within the ambit of the law. Residents should also conduct proper research when committing to an online purchase, instead of relying on social media advertisements which can be misleading.