- The Grassy Park police are urging residents to be vigilant while doing online and cash transactions during the festive season.
- Station commander Col Dawood Laing warned of cyber crime that is “a major issue” occurring daily.
- Laing says the elderly are often targeted and “taken advantage of” with devastating consequences.
Grassy Park police are urging residents, especially the elderly, to be vigilant while doing online and cash transactions during the festive season.
Station commander Col Dawood Laing warned of cyber crime that is “a major issue” occurring daily.
“It is the festive season now and the majority of people will get bonuses.
“At the same time there are many people who advertise things on Facebook marketplace and ask for a deposit up front but once cash is paid over they disappear.
“This is happening every day, cyber crime is a major issue so be careful with your money and don’t trust anyone.”
Laing says the elderly are often targeted and “taken advantage of” with devastating consequences.
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“In a recent incident, an elderly woman went for advice on how to invest her pension funds, to a sangoma, who allegedly now emptied her account.
“The woman alleged that she received R1,4 million in pension funds and went for advice to a sangoma in Parow.”
The 60-year-old woman was apparently advised to withdraw R100 000 each week and to hand it to the sangoma and now her account has been emptied.
“We request people to be really careful with their money.
“Do cash deals or otherwise use debit cards and don’t trust any strangers because often people trust strangers at the ATM and unfortunately that is how some cards are being swiped.”
In a separate incident, another elderly woman who had retired from Pick n Pay allegedly took advice from an “online investor” who swindled the woman of all her money. “The woman has now been kicked out of her property because she had no money,” said Laing.
