Bloemfontein – Free State police have warned the public to be on the lookout for potential fraudsters after two people from Phuthaditjhaba recently fell victim to fraudsters.
“Two people have lost money through alleged fraud telephonically from unknown suspects,” Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said.
Both victims were phoned and requested to give their personal banking details to the fraudsters.
On Thursday, a 51-year-old man from Phuthaditjhaba in QwaQwa lost R5 000 cash from his bank savings account after an unknown man and a woman contacted him telephonically for his personal banking details.
“The two alleged they were from head office and wanted to assist him block outside people to have access to his account. He finally agreed telephonically and noted later that he lost R5 000 in cash. A case of fraud is being investigated,” Mophiring said.
In another case, between November 30, 2015 and January 13, 2016, a 66-year-old man from QwaQwa alleged that a man and woman contacted him telephonically to inform him that he had won a car.
“The two phoned separately requesting him to deposit R30 000 and R20 000 into their bank account before the transaction of winning the competition can be finalised. He finally agreed and to date he did not receive his prize car [from a competition] he never entered. A case of fraud is being opened,” Mophiring said.
Mophiring said people had been made aware of such incidents, but people continued to be defrauded because of their own “greediness”.
“We urge people not to furnish their personal banking details and pin numbers to strangers before verifying with their banks physically. Never [give] your personal [details] telephonically to unknown persons.”
People should also never give their email addresses to unknown people requesting this on social media.
“Never open unknown links from your mobile phones or laptop because it’s either [a case that] you receive [a computer] virus or lose money. Never play competitions that request your bank card numbers on any day,” Mophiring said.
– African News Agency (ANA)