The Durbanville Community Police Forum is urging residents to exercise caution when engaging in online buying and selling transactions following recent cases of fraud, with one incident involving a resident who was defrauded of R53 000.
According to IOL, the incident unfolded when an unidentified individual claiming to represent Absa Bank contacted the resident, alerting them to unauthorised airline ticket purchases using their account. The CPF reported that the resident later discovered the fraudulent withdrawal of R53 000 from their bank account.
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In a separate incident, another resident faced a similar fate, losing R22 000 while attempting to purchase a car through Facebook Marketplace. The CPF explained that the complainant in this case communicated with the seller to inquire about the car’s availability. Upon confirmation, the resident deposited R22 000, but the promised vehicle never materialised.
In another occurrence, a resident sold a Dell laptop worth R12 550 on Marketplace, but the seller never received payment for the laptop.
Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities in the Western Cape have also issued a warning regarding the withdrawal of funds, especially at standalone ATMs or those located outside of shops or shopping centres.
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They advise individuals not to accept unsolicited assistance from strangers at ATMs. If approached while using an ATM, it is recommended to promptly cancel the transaction, retrieve the card and seek out a more secure ATM location.
‘Do not accept people that try to “help” you as they appear. If someone approaches you while you are busy at an ATM, push cancel and remove your card as quickly as possible and rather use an ATM at a more secure site,’ police said.
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