Grassy Park cops have warned mense to stop falling for online scammers selling goods on social media amid an increase in theft and fraud cases.
Station commander Dawood Laing said that in recent weeks, cops have been left confused by how skelms have made buyers believe in cheap fake deals that have resulted in the loss of thousands of rands.
“In recent weeks there has been an increase in theft and fraud charges being opened at the station due to people buying goods on [Facebook] Marketplace and other social media platforms,” Laing explained.
“What is mind-boggling is how many people are parting with their money and not doing proper checks to see if the seller is legit.
“In a recent case, a woman from Grassy Park paid R7 000 for an iPhone and didn’t even bother checking to see if it works. When she got home she discovered there was a fake phone in the box and there goes R7 000.”
Laing said that in another case, a buyer bought a car and transferred thousands of rands to the seller and waited for the person to have the car delivered.
“Of course the car never arrived and the seller is untraceable,” he added. “The problem is that everyone is looking for a cheap deal but people need to use their common sense and think for themselves that if something appears to be too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.”
While each case is investigated, Laing said cops often hit roadblocks as the scammers close their social media accounts.
He also warned mense to be careful of scammers using social media to lure them into unsafe areas.
“The other issue is the safety aspect because people are meeting up with complete strangers,” he wysed.
“We have seen what happens in areas like Brown’s Farm where people are being lured to be robbed, or even worse, killed.
“We are calling on the public to be very careful and not part with their hard-earned money without being absolutely sure.
“Everyone is looking for a deal but you cannot risk your safety.
“In one case a woman was looking to make a loan and the scammer told her she must first pay in R4 000 before she can qualify and she did.
“Now how can you give money to someone you don’t know when you already need money?”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za