Scammers clone SAPS phone number
The official landline phone number of SAPS Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile has been cloned and is being used to defraud the public, police warned on Friday.
According to News24, police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut warned that the scammers are using the number 021 417 7148 – which belongs to Patekile.
‘In these cases, the caller ID reflects the official SAPS number, creating the false impression that the call is legitimate,’ Traut said.
He added: ‘Victims are then contacted, sometimes via video call, by an individual impersonating a police officer and wearing a police uniform.’
Victims are falsely accused of being linked to a parcel containing contraband allegedly intercepted at an airport.
Through intimidation and threats of arrest or prosecution, the scammers pressure victims into paying large sums of money to have the matter ‘resolved,’ Traut added.
Investigations are under way into the misuse of the telephone number and the cases linked to the scam, Traut said.
Traut said police would never demand money to prevent arrest or prosecution, nor would they request payments via telephone or video calls.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
