Bogus policemen scam Montclair women
Unsuspecting women have been falling prey to the dropped money scam.
RESIDENTS are urged to be aware of a syndicate operating in malls in Montclair, scamming women out of their money after posing as police officers investigating the theft of money.
Communications officer of the Montclair SAPS, Captain Derek Vijiam, said unsuspecting women have been falling prey to the ‘dropped money scam’ which involves a woman and man showing a stack of money, which they allege that they had found on the floor, to the victim before offering to share the money among them.
“An elderly woman was caught in a scam last week. She reported that she was shown a large amount of money in notes, which the man and woman said they found on the floor. They told her that they were going to share it among them and whilst in the process of sharing the money, they were approached by two men who impersonated policemen, claiming that they were investigating a case of theft of cash. They instructed the three of them to get into the vehicle, a VW Polo, and were taken to an undisclosed destination. While in the vehicle, the woman was scammed out of her finances and left in Isipingo, south of Durban. They allegedly teamed up and scammed her out of cash. This crime seems prevalent in the area we want people to be more aware of their surroundings and the people they encounter,” said Vijiam.
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Police say the community should beware of ongoing scams at local malls as scammers were rife within the area.
“Do not allow them to coerce you to join them or participate in such scams. You should also not allow strangers to hug you or come too close to you. When they come into close contact with you, they remove your personal belongings without you knowing. You only become aware much later that something is amiss. Also avoid conversations with strangers,” said Vijiam.
Station commander of the Montclair SAPS, Colonel Trevor Small, said scams vary by the perpetrators imagination, but they all have certain things in common, as not every scams raises all the warning signs but all raises at least one sign that sends alarm bells in your mind.
“You can stop scammers in their tracks by being vigilant, maintaining a healthy level of skepticism, and taking advantage of the tools and the resources available to you,” added Small.
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