The South African Police Service (SAPS) has warned members of the public about a scam that continues to circulate in various provinces involving fraudulent letters and phone calls that falsely appear to originate from the SAPS.
“These fake letters, often distributed via WhatsApp, bear the SAPS logo and contain the names, contact details of senior SAPS officers and the addresses of legitimate SAPS offices. In some instances, the scammers also use the names of police stations that do not exist,” the South African Police Service said in a statement.
“The scammers use this information to deceive recipients into sharing personal details under false pretences.
“The content of the letters is often tailored according to the victim’s location, with changes made to names, addresses and contact persons to make the communication appear authentic.
“Also, these WhatsApp messages are preceded by phone calls from individuals posing as police officials, who falsely claim that criminal cases have been opened against the victim. These ‘police officers’ then coerce the victim to pay over a certain amount to make his or her supposed case to ‘disappear’,” the police said.
Community members are urged to remain vigilant at all times:
- Do not respond to these fraudulent messages or phone calls.
- Do not provide or confirm any personal information such as ID numbers, addresses, or banking details.
- Do not pay these “scammers” any money.
Please note, the SAPS do not communicate with the public via WhatsApp or video calls.
Anyone who has received or responded to these fraudulent messages or phone calls is urged to report the matter and open a case at their nearest police station. – SAnews.gov.za
