A slick new scam has hit Gqeberha, where fraudsters posing as police and customs officers scare victims with fake drug smuggling and money laundering charges – or trick them by saying a parcel with drugs or counterfeit documents is waiting for them at the port.

The Herald reports that in both cases, victims are cajoled into handing over money or logging on to fake police apps, only to have their bank accounts emptied.

Eastern Cape police have said they are investigating the scam as an extortion racket.

Some complainants said the scammers video-called them on WhatsApp, pretending to be police officers or customs officials, and dressed in full uniform. They were told they had been linked to serious crimes such as drug smuggling, money laundering or even murder.

The goal was to scare them into believing they were in big trouble – and it worked.

In some cases, a different tactic is used, with the victims being informed that a parcel is waiting for them at the port.

The scammers then claim the parcel contains illegal items such as drugs or counterfeit passports, and pressure the victims to pay a fee or provide banking details to resolve the problem.

The crooks even get victims to download fake police apps.

A Gqeberha man – who asked not to be named – said he was conned out of R36 000, The Herald notes.

Lorraine resident Gerda Heyl said she received a call on 15 April from someone saying he was a police officer. ‘They told me there was a parcel with drugs linked to me in Cape Town, and I had to pay money to make it go away. It all sounded so real,’ she said.

‘The man was in full police uniform, and it looked like he was sitting inside a police van. It was a video call. I could even hear police’ radios in the background. They told me if I didn’t pay, I could be arrested or face serious charges …I paid them R23 000,' she said.

Walmer Community Policing Forum chair Denton van Vuuren warned that scammers went to great lengths to appear authentic.

‘They create fake apps, dress in uniform and speak fluently about police procedures. But real police will never ask you to download apps or hand over OTPs. They played on fear. They looked and sounded official. But they were thieves.’

Full report in The Herald