The Hillcrest community is being warned to familiarise themselves with the latest crime trends used by fraudsters and not be victims.
Captain Linzi Smith, communications officer of Hillcrest SAPS said that this follows the increase of fraudulent cases reported daily. “Fraudsters are constantly looking for ways to defraud unsuspecting consumers,” said Smith.
She said that people should always ask for references especially when dealing with car purchases and making deposits on vehicles they have never seen. “In most cases people are making large deposits on vehicles without even seeing the vehicle, only to find the advert has been deleted and there is no communication from the seller. The buyers make the payment voluntarily to the seller, who then ‘doesn’t exist’ which makes it hard to get their money back,” said Smith.
She said the community needs to be more alert and look into the seller first before making these purchases.
She advised the public to do proper and thorough checks on the person they are dealing with and to check their ratings and review profiles. “Do your homework first before making purchases without even viewing the items you are purchasing. Should you become aware of being a victim, contact your bank or branch immediately. However, the banks reserve the right not to refund any transaction that was done voluntarily,” she added.
