Linden police have issued an alert for members of the public not to fall for scams and to always be vigilant.
Spokesperson for the station Sergeant Takalani Sibiya said, “It is important to be aware of the tell-tale signs of some scams so that people avoid falling victim to unscrupulous scammers.
“We outline five popular scams to be aware of based on cases opened at Linden.”
- Selling goods online
Scammers target people who are selling their valuables online. The seller agrees for payment via EFT or online baking and allows the goods to be collected. The fraudsters then either reverse the payment or a false proof of payment was sent with no transfer ever happening. Sibiya suggests insisting on cash payments and for the handover of goods to happen in a public space.
“Another version of this is when people see an advert on Facebook and want to purchase the item without meeting the sellers.”
In one incident a woman was at her home when she saw an advert on Facebook of a person who can install palisade fence and gates. “She phoned the person to do the work on her gate and fence and was told a deposit of R4 432 was needed to secure the work. She made the payment into an account at a well-known bank.
“The person she paid the funds to was no longer reachable and after some investigations, she realised the company he said he worked for did not exist.”
- Bank account information messages
Scammers will send a fake message either via email or SMS claiming that they are from your bank and that your account number or other information has been changed or they suspect fraudulent activities on your account.
“If you fall victim to these scams you will end up paying money into the fraudster’s temporary account and you will lose your money.”
Always be suspicious of these kinds of messages and call your bank back to either confirm the message or alert them to it. A bank will never request you to verify anything via an SMS or email.
- Fake loans
This scam works on people who apply for loans from fake companies. “This fake company will tell the applicant that their loan has been approved and an ‘initiation’ fee is required to access the money. People pay the fee and only afterwards do they realise it was all fake.
“People should refrain from applying for loans online, rather visit your bank in person to see if you are able to access a loan if you need one.”
General safety tips
- Beware of online adverts. View the product in person before you pay for it.
- Always meet with the person who is selling you the goods.
- Never give your bank account number and personal details to anyone you don’t know.
- Always log out of your banking website and application when you are done.
- Avoid online banking for large sums of money if you are using a public computer, internet café or another person’s cell phone. These can all be accessed by scammers who will then potentially be able to access your accounts.
- Always put a sensible transaction limit on your online banking and cards.
- Change your pins and passwords frequently.
- Do not believe promises of easy money.
Sibiya ends by saying, “The police would like to further appeal to the community members to report any suspicious activities they come across or witness as the festive season is upon us and criminals are starting to get busy.”
