Cell phone scams on the rise in Gauteng
The Gauteng Office of Consumer Affairs has warned of a spike in cell phone scams in the province.
It says fraudsters are increasingly preying on unsuspecting consumers and swindle them out of their airtime and money.
The organisation’s Morapedi Machakela says scams from people pretending to be from network service provider are on the rise.
“During our awareness campaigns, consumers reported that they received phone calls from people who pretended to be the network service providers and told them that they have won cell phones. Consumers were then expected to recharge airtime and send it to these criminals before receiving the cellphones. Unfortunately, the unsuspecting victims then openly purchased the airtime and sent it to the criminals, but never received the cell phones.”
Machakela has urged consumers to be extra vigilant.
"Beware of scams. If you’re buying something online, spend a few minutes checking it – start by finding its terms and conditions, the company’s address, and check to see what people have said about the company. It’s worth looking for reviews on different websites – don’t rely on reviews the company has put on its own website.”
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