NATIONAL NEWS - Police say they are looking into how scammers manage to get the details of people whose cars have been stolen or hijacked.
“People who reported their cars being hijacked and stolen would get a phone call from someone pretending to be from the police,” said police spokesperson Constable Sibongile Vuma.
“The scammers would then tell them that the police have managed to retrieve their stolen or hijacked vehicle, but that the person must first pay an admin fee to get it back.”
Vuma said the victims of this scam are people who have recently opened hijacking or car theft cases.
“What convinces the victim is that the scammer has all the details about the vehicle.
“After the victim confirms that the vehicle indeed belongs to them, they will tell them that the car has been recovered in Komatipoort (Mpumalanga).
“To get it back, they will need to pay a certain amount.”
She said the victims were told to EFT a certain amount of money into an account so that the car can be towed to the nearest police station.
“They will say the owners need to pay R2 000 for towing. After that has been paid, they will ask for R4 000 for the car to be cleared as a stolen vehicle.”
Vuma said after this, the victims are told to go to their nearby police station with their particulars and the papers for the car so that they can get it back.
“You will find the person going to the police station to collect their car, only to find out that there their car has never been recovered.
“We do not know how this information gets to these scammers, but there are ongoing internal investigations. It is either people from the police services who are giving them this information, we are still not sure.”
She urged people who receive such calls to remain calm, ask for their cellphone number and report it to the police.
“Usually they will ask you to send the money in an account that has been recently opened or via a well-known shopping outlet. Victims should also consider contacting the investigating officer if they receive such calls.”
