Nelson Mandela Bay District police are warning social media users to be vigilant of scams on various platforms.
Police spokesperson, Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg, stated that recently many victims have fallen prey to these scams within the Nelson Mandela Bay District.
She highlighted that one of the most common scams involves false advertisements on sites such as Facebook, Gumtree, and Marketplace.
“In these cases, the potential buyer will respond to the advert. The buyer will indicate interest in the item and request the seller’s banking details. The seller will then receive a WhatsApp screenshot as ‘proof’ that the payment was made (the money was deposited into his/her account), and the buyer will arrange for someone to collect the item from the seller. Meanwhile, the WhatsApp screenshot is fake, and no money was actually deposited into the seller’s account.
“A courier will then arrive at your home to collect the parcel from the seller. The seller only realizes he/she has been scammed hours later when the money does not reflect in his/her account. By then, the seller has lost control of the item,” she explained.
She added that police are urging people to take note of the following tips to prevent becoming victims of these scams.
She advises the following preventative measures to avoid falling victim to scams and fraud:
- Never provide your bank account number and details to a stranger. Instead, arrange for a cash transaction/meeting between the buyer and seller, preferably in a secure environment.
- Never release the item on sale until the money has been cleared into your account. Proof of payment is insufficient for transactions done through the aforementioned sites.
- Never respond to emails or cellphone messages that appear to be from your bank, requesting your personal details. Remember that no bank will ever ask you to confirm or update your account details by email.
- Never provide your ID number, banking details, passwords, or PIN to anyone, and never write them down or share them.
- Do not save your Internet banking password on your desktop.
- Do not leave your computer unattended after you have entered your Internet banking password.
- Always log off or sign off at the end of a session.
- Avoid doing Internet banking in public areas such as Internet cafés, or on any computer that can be accessed by people you do not know.• Change your PIN and passwords frequently.
- Set sensible transaction limits on your accounts.
- Only provide your credit card details to reputable companies.
- If it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
- Banks will never call you from cell phone numbers and request that you go on your app to reverse certain fraudulent transactions that have occurred on your account.
- Never share OTPs.
- Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust. Suspects in these cases are, in most cases, difficult to trace.
Anyone with information about crimes is requested to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111. Callers may remain anonymous and all information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
