Police warn of bogus cop scam in Centurion

Centurion residents have been warned about a new scam doing the rounds in the area in which they must “bribe” cops for bogus charges against them to be dropped.

One resident, who wishes to stay anonymous, told of receiving a phone call from a “Captain John Smith” who said that a sexual assault charge was laid against him.

According to “Captain Smith”, the resident would have to pay an amount of money or risk the chance if getting arrested for his “crime”.

“After refusing to pay the bribe, the ‘officer’ told me that he knew where I lived and that he would be on his way soon to arrest me.

“I am still waiting,” the resident said.

Captain Dave Miller, of the Lyttelton police station, told Rekord that “Captain John Smith” is a fake.

He also warned that trying to bribe a real police officer was against the law.

“The only authority that can withdraw charges is the court. No officer can do this.

“Even if a corrupt official contacts you with information of a criminal case opened against you, paying any amount of money is unlawful and can really get you into trouble,” he said.

The same scam involving a “Captain John Smith” came under the Boschkop police station’s attention in September last year.

Boschkop police back then warned residents against imposters using text messages pretending to be “John Smith from the police station who was handling a sexual harassment case against the complainant”.

Wierdabrug police station spokesperson Sergeant Divine Nkuna told Rekord that a similar scam had been reported to them.

“We had a similar incident where the complainant was phoned about traffic fines. Residents must never pay for anything that is arranged on the phone.”

Police offered the below tips:

– When you get a phone call like this, ignore the caller and hang up the phone.

– Call the police station where the alleged ‘criminal case’ docket has been opened and ask to speak to the investigating officer.

– Go to the police station and verify whether the alleged officer works at the station, ask the right questions and verify the story.

“Unfortunately there are many police scams out there, it’s impossible to stay on top of all of them,” said Miller.

“These guys are smart and even if they do perhaps have access to your personal information, my advice is to verify the scam and the officer at the police station.”

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