The Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit is warning the community to be cautious and to guard against scammers using the unit’s and bogus or fictitious police officers’ names to extort money from unsuspecting victims.

The unit has received several calls from people, who alleged that a “police officer”, purporting to be from the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit, telephonically contacted people and informed them that their relatives are suspects in a case of a mass shooting, which they are investigating.

The bogus caller would request money to be paid to “squash” the case or request victims to deposit money for bail. The caller in some instances will also send a photo of a police officer who has no knowledge of such a request.

The targeted victims are innocent people (some are relatives of wanted/arrested suspects) who are neither complainants nor suspects in any of the cases investigated by the unit.

Police are warning people that at no stage will money be requested by any police official and that in
cludes investigating officers for cases under investigation. If anyone receives such a call, always make contact with the relevant unit or station before panicking and succumbing to the request. Never accept telephone numbers provided by the caller to return their call.

Source: South African Police Service