The South African Police Service (SAPS) has issued a warning around a new car theft scam targeting South Africans looking to buy vehicles through social media.<\/p>\n
The SAPS said that it had received several reports in the past week where fraudsters defrauded people by posting advertisements for car sales on Facebook.<\/p>\n
The fraudsters convince the unsuspecting people who are interested in buying the car to deposit a certain amount of money before the car can be delivered. The fraudsters will then withdraw the money and disappear without delivering the car, it said.<\/p>\n
“We request the community to be vigilant, do proper research and not to rely on social media posts or advertisements when they want to buy a car or any other item. Most importantly, people are requested not to deposit or send money to people that they have never met,” said the provincial commissioner of Mpumalanga lieutenant general Semakaleng Manamela.<\/p>\n
Insurers in South Africa have also warned motorists against posting personal information about themselves or their cars on social media.<\/p>\n
Insurance group Hollard pointed to a growing scam where a motorist receives a call from the ‘dealership’ stating that the model is being recalled to fix a defect. The manufacturer will bear the cost, and it will be arranged for the vehicle to be collected.<\/p>\n
This is inconvenient, but you agree and hand your vehicle over to the tow truck driver when he arrives.<\/p>\n
Having heard nothing for a few days, you call the agent to follow up on the progress with your car, which informs you there is no recall and they never received the car.<\/p>\n