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Be aware of the latest scam in eMalahleni

Here’s everything you need to know about the scam sticking its head out in our midst, just before you maybe become a victim…

We know scammers are out there, impersonating the authorities up different schemes to fool people into giving them money. But as for the newest scam, the community is in abuzz as fraudsters now pose as ‘police officials’.

Here’s everything you need to know about the scam sticking its head out in our midst, just before you maybe become a victim…

What does the scam entail?

The method is simple. An unknown number will call you; the caller will tell you that he/she is a police officer.

They claim that they have a docket with your name on it and have a warrant for your arrest for some or other sex crime and therefore it would be classified as a schedule 6 offence.

The phone call would normally be on a Thursday or Friday and the person would make it clear that getting bail would be hard for this criminal offence.

The police officer will thereafter offer to make this docket disappear for a certain amount if you would be willing to pay.

What should you do know if this happens to you?

The fear of having criminal charges against you can be very overwhelming and scary. Many people therefore would just pay the bribe in order to make the ‘fake problem’ go away and avoid the hassle.

This, however, is not a long-term solution. Paying the bribe may carry a corruption penalty or charge as well as obstruction of justice. Not only will you now be guilty of an actual offense; they will keep coming back for more pay-offs.

It is therefore important to remain calm and not to do anything drastically. According to the Minister of Police, your rights as a citizen in these instances are the following:

You are allowed to ask for proper identification of the police officer, you are allowed to ask for the docket number, you are allowed to ask for the police officer’s badge number and the station he allegedly works at, you are allowed to ask for the charge against you and the schedule of the offence, you are allowed to ask for the details of the case.

What should you do if this happens to you?

Consulting with a legal professional would be a very good place to start when figuring out your plan of action.

The most important thing is to be alert.

A police officer will never phone you from an unknown number and they will never ask you for money in any way.

Getting legal advice is always helpful in understanding the process of criminal procedure and having someone that is aware of the situation, should they close in and make an actual arrest.

The Minister of Police, Bheki Cele said that they are aware of the elaborate scam and that there have been several arrests of impersonators.

“Such acts cannot be tolerated. At no point will police ever ask citizens for cash in exchange for favors. Citizens also have the responsibility and right to ask for identification from anyone who identifies themselves as police officers, and officers are obliged to comply with such a request,” Cele concluded.

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