Police warn against festive season scams
Police have urged people to keep their wits about them to prevent being targeted by criminals this season.
|||Cape Town - As the working year slows down and festivities picks up, police have urged locals and tourists to keep their wits about them to prevent being targeted by criminals during the holiday season.
The Western Cape South African Police Service (SAPS) management briefed media on Thursday as part of their “Festive Season Security Strategy” and readiness for the holiday period. Their multi-pronged approach was presented by Deputy Provincial Commissioner Jeremy Vearey, the Hawks’ Lieutenant Colonel Jerome Hardenberg, and Brigadier Tania Hoskings.
Vearey described how the province’s Anti-Corruption unit had arrested its 50th suspect on Thursday morning, and how this arrest came a day after International Anti-Corruption Day.
A 45-year-old police warrant officer based at the Pinelands station was arrested on a charge of corruption after it was alleged he had tampered with blood samples in exchange for money. The blood samples were taken from drivers arrested under the influence.
The officer, said Vearey, had allegedly microwaved the blood samples so that it thickened and was then rendered non-viable by testing laboratories.
Vearey said citizens were to be on the alert for officers looking to extort money to squash traffic offences by tampering with their blood samples and if they had already paid a bribe to corrupt officials, citizens were asked to come forward and admit their complicity.
“It will hold you in good stead to admit your complicity,” he said. “Rather come to us before we arrest you along with the police officer.”
Vearey also urged any business owners, particularly foreign nationals, to contact the Anti-Corruption unit if police approached them looking for money.
He urged citizens and business owners finding themselves in these situations to immediately contact the unit on 021 918 3391/92 or, for after hours or when those numbers were engaged, on 079 894 1376.
Locals and tourists were also asked to be wary of commercial crimes over the festive season, particularly when paying for goods and services by card or using card details.
“Anywhere your card is presented, your card can be skimmed,” said Hardenberg.
Skimming, most prevalent at ATMs and restaurants, involves the recording of all information using any card’s magnetic strip. The card’s data would be “stolen” and transferred onto another card.
Hardenberg also urged people to only make online purchases and payments on secure sites, and those accepting packages from courier companies were advised to be wary of fraudsters requesting card payments on delivery.
He said that “419 scams” were still rife, ones which involved unsolicited emails. Here, police advised that citizens refrain from opening emails from unknown sources.
Another internet-based scam which police found worrying, said Hardenberg, was in the online dating world.
Users would be duped into believing they had met their match, and after months of courting, would be persuaded to transfer money into their new love interest’s account.
“One person in Cape Town lost R4 million and one person in Johannesburg lost R5 million,” said Hardenberg.
Hoskings went on to urge citizens to be on the alert and ready to assist police in finding suspects.
Taking note of identifying features such as the number plate and colour of a suspicious looking vehicle or a tattoo on a suspect’s body could assist police in tracking criminals down.
“The devil is in the details,” she said. “Take note of the details when you see suspicious activity.”
ANA
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