Two major scams in King Cetshwayo

King Cetshwayo District police have warned members of the community to not fall victim to ongoing scams that have taken the region by storm.

Police said two major scams are common within the district, and that they are occurring in Richards Bay, Empangeni and eShowe.

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King Cetshwayo Cluster spokesperson Captain Siyanda Shangase explains what these scams entail.

“Scammers deliberately drop what may look like a bundle or roll of money.

“They then lure their victims or a victim to share the money with them. One of the scammers monitors the whole process. They ask their victim/s to go to a secluded area.

“While proceeding to the secluded area, another conman approaches them and pretends to be a police officer. He leads his cronies and the victim to a car, and robs the victim/s of their belongings and money,” he said.

Referring to other scams, Shangase urged people to stop buying cars they have never seen.

“This scam occurs online. A fraudster advertises a car for sale on social media and asks for an upfront deposit.

“After receiving the deposit, the ‘seller’ switches off his or her cellphone and disappears with the victim’s hard-earned cash,” said Shangase.

He added that a recent case occurred in the Gingindlovu area, where a victim paid R65 000 into a conman’s account who then vanished.

“People need to be aware of these things and avoid becoming victims,” he said.

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