Motorists couldn’t believe their luck after a post started doing the rounds, convincing people that big fuel companies will be selling their petrol and diesel… tax-free!
But if you were crossing your fingers and toes, and throwing pennies into a wishing well, your efforts may have been in vain. Our grandparents didn’t warn us for no reason – “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is”.
So why are people taking advantage of the situation by selling us a dream that we’re all hoping for? Well, this comes after news spread like wildfire that Russia’s invasion on Ukraine could have a devastating impact on the pockets of motorists as local fuel prices may skyrocket to R40 a litre.
South Africans are already forking out a whopping R21 a litre on petrol which took effect on 2 March 2022.
“In a worst-case scenario, South Africa could expect liquid fuel prices to increase to about R40 per litre,” André Thomashausen, an emeritus professor of international law at Unisa told IOL.
This panic was worth exploiting, scammers must have thought, and you can be the judge of how convincing their post seems:
“Tomorrow between 2pm and 6pm, the big fuel companies will sell their petrol & diesel TAX-FREE in protest against the government and the rising cost!
“- Petrol price will be R13.99 per litre
“- Diesel price will be R12.89 per litre
“Here’s the link to the list of petrol stations around South Africa.”
Surprisingly enough, these posts raked in thousands and thousands of comments, with some even saying that this is “good news” while others said that they “love a bargain”.
But if the desperate use of TAX-FREE in caps wasn’t enough to convince people that this is a scam, perhaps the GIF of the woman was what sealed the deal for many who clicked the link (refrain from clicking – a woman lifting up her middle finger awaits behind the digital curtain).
This is not a “South African thing” though, as people across the world were taking the bait – hook, line and sinker. Similar posts surfaced, with only the currency altered. Some of the posts read:
Beware of scams, especially during a time when matters are heightened and people are vulnerable – scammers know when to attack.
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Picture: Unsplash