The Atlantic Seaboard Community Forum has warned tourists and visitors of fraudsters claiming they must pay for a permit to enter a street or public area and then using credit card cloning devices to scam them, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Resident Peter Flentov reported that a group of suspects pretended to be officials and instructed him to pay for a permit to enter the area while trying to scam him with a credit card device.
‘This morning (last week Thursday), shortly after 9:30 am, Jody Botha and James Johnson, two members of the Green Point Ratepayers and Residents Association’s (GPRRA) SafeStreet Collective gardening and cleaning team, saw a lone individual near the Green Point A-Track who appeared to be in some sort of trouble,’
‘The man, who turned out to be a German tourist, was surrounded by a number of men dressed to look official. They were in the process of scamming him – they had convinced him that he needed to pay for a permit to enter the area. Botha and Johnson intervened and the men fled in two cars, taking his cards but leaving one scamming device behind,’ Flentov said.
Flentov further added that Law Enforcement and SAPS were called and the man was advised to cancel his cards. ‘Riedoewaan Galant, the SafeStreet Collective’s Supervisor, assisted the victim in getting back to his hotel so that he could catch his flight home later today.
‘A huge “thank you” to Botha and Johnson for being alert and stepping up when needed, and a reminder to visitors that you do not need a permit or ticket to walk on any street in Cape Town,’ Flentov said.
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