The picture of an affordable vehicle caught the attention of an unsuspecting buyer, while he was browsing the Internet.
The man, who wished to be kept anonymous, said that he immediately phoned the contact number provided and spoke to a man who claimed that there was already someone else interested in buying the advertised vehicle.
“He said that if I’m serious about buying this vehicle, I should deposit a R1000 into his account,” the man told.
On May 1, the man allegedly deposited the money. “The owner phoned me saying that he received the money,” the man remembers and said that he was asked to deposit the rest. “The man said his wife is bringing the car.”
The victim allegedly deposited the rest of the money for the vehicle. “It was just after 14:00. I phoned the wife, who was bringing the car, and she said she was on her way.”
After a while the victim realised no one was coming and called again to discover the ‘owner’ and his ‘wife’ had switched off their phones.
The suspects are unknown. Police warns the community about these and similar scams used by opportunistic thieves on the Internet.
The Securities and Exchange Commission provides guidelines for avoiding such Internet investment scams:
The Internet allows individuals or companies to communicate with a large audience without spending a lot of time, effort, or money. Anyone can reach tens of thousands of people by building an Internet web site, posting a message on an online bulletin board, entering a discussion in a live “chat” room, or sending mass e-mails.
If you want to invest wisely and steer clear of frauds, you must get the facts.
The types of investment fraud seen online mirrors the frauds perpetrated over the phone or through the mail. Consider all offers with scepticism.
Do not use your credit card number to buy products from lesser-known online merchants.
For online auctions, you need to know how the auction works and how the company will act if a problem occurs. Keep in mind that the method of payment is critical for when you have to send a payment.
Feedback from previous customers is another thing to consider.
Watch out for unexpected costs such as shipping and handling.
