Welkom - Free State police have warned people to beware of scamsters purporting to be bank officials asking for their credit card details over the phone.
"Several cases of fraud were registered after unsuspecting victims were contacted telephonically by people claiming to be bank officials, then information of their credit cards will be requested, and ultimately loosing a lot of their hard earned cash," Captain Stephen Thakeng said on Saturday.
People were warned not to give their personal information to unknown people telephonically. From February 20 to 22, three cases of fraud were registered with police after victims were called by people claiming to be bank officials and asked to give information about their credit cards.
The unsuspecting victims later received a message to their cellphone stating “Pay ZAR [X amount] to Takealot online. Reject if not your transaction. 1 – accept. 9 reject".
Unsuspecting clients then pressed one and the transaction was approved and their accounts were compromised. People were warned not to react to calls where the caller claimed to be from the bank and requested bank account details over the telephone. "Do not give them anything, if not certain, visit your branch."
Victims of the scam could report the matter to the nearest police station or contacted Lt-Col Stephen Mathakhoe of the Welkom detectives' economic investigations section on 082-525-2168, Thakeng said.