Police in Douglasdale urge community members to remain vigilant to online fraud.
This follows after the Douglasdale-The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) led to the development of e-commerce platforms such as online shopping and banking.
Douglasdale Police Station spokesperson Captain Mpho Tshetlhane explained that they are investigating several cases of online fraud- related cases that have been reported over the past few months.
“The modus operandi of these type or fraudsters involves them luring unsuspecting victims to disclose their banking details following a suspicious call or SMS. The perpetrators reportedly pretend to be a bank employee 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.
She added that the victims then subsequently share their banking details with the fraudster. Shortly after, large amounts of money are then fraudulently transferred out of the victim’s account.
The police appeal to all community members to guard against online banking scams. And to remember that the bank employees will never request personal information from their clients telephonically or via an SMS.
“Another growing fraud trend is about online purchases where 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.”
Community members are encouraged to report criminal activities to Douglasdale Police Station on 011 699 1333; 071 675 7158; SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111; anonymously through the MySAPS App.
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