Durban - Police in Durban have warned about scams in which people have been duped into depositing money into a bank account by bogus cop who entices his victims by claiming he has recovered items stolen from them.
Police said they had received a number of complaints regarding a “Captain Khumalo”.
“The said bogus captain allegedly phones persons that have opened criminal cases, claiming that he has recovered their stolen vehicles or stock," explained police spokesperson, Colonel Thembeka Mbele, in a statement on Friday.
"He will then request that the complainant to deposit a certain amount of money into various accounts.”
Mbele said that the bogus cop also calls relatives of arrested persons with a promise to speak to prosecutors and arrange bail for suspects if he is paid a certain sum of money.
“The police would like to take this opportunity to notify the community that if their stolen goods are recovered, the investigating officers will always contact them. Complainants will always be requested to come to a police station with their identify documents to claim recovered goods,” said Mbele.
“Police will not request cash for any reason during the cause of an investigation. If in doubt, complainants are requested to always consult with the detectives investigating their cases.”