POLOKWANE – The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has warned the public about ‘bogus Hawks members’ who are operating in the city.
This follows a recent scam where a pensioner was allegedly swindled out of his pension by three people who claimed to be Hawks members, said Hawks Spokesperson, Captain Matimba Maluleke.
According to the statement, the victim alleged he was walking in the city when he was approached by an unknown man who told him that someone had smeared something on his coat. The unknown man volunteered to contact the police and three people who alleged to be Hawks members arrived on the scene.
“The members then told the pensioner to hand over the money he was carrying to them for safekeeping. They further requested him to withdraw all the money he had in his bank account on different dates so that it can be kept safe, whereby the pensioner withdrew all the money from his bank account and gave it to the ‘bogus members’,” explained Maluleke.
Yesterday (Wednesday, 19 April 2017) when the victim visited the Hawks offices in Polokwane to meet with the officers who took his R90 000 for safekeeping, he learned that he was actually robbed.
He was taken to the police station to open a case.
“We want to warn the public about people who use the Hawks’ name to swindle innocent citizens. We do not have safes to keep people’s money and we do not safeguard monies in our offices. If people claim to be Hawks members and approach you and ask you to handover your money to them for safekeeping, know that you are about to be scammed. Please report the matter to the police immediately,” Maluleke urged.
