More and more cases of online fraud are being reported across the district with weekly reporting of consumers losing all their money with nothing to show for it.
Malmesbury police share the following safety tips to consider before engaging in online transactions: . Do not send or hand over items before receiving items.. Hold onto goods sold until money has been cleared by the bank. . Call the bank when receiving a payment confirmation via SMS and ask the bank to confirm the transaction is legitimate and that the money has cleared. Scammers have been known to send fake SMS messages impersonating the bank or create fake proofs of payment.. Don’t pay or send money before seeing the item and make sure items are in advertised condition.. Make sure photographs and description of advertised item are the same.. Test electronic items and ensure that they are in working condition.. Request cellphone numbers and email addresses and verify that they indeed exist and are in use.. Don’t let buyer or seller rush you in any way as this causes reason for suspicion.. Never release your banking details when using online banking and always ensure that you on a secure site.. Never give a deposit on goods only pay cash for goods.. Scammers get buyers to pay a deposit to secure their purchase or for a courier bill. Do not fall in this trap.. Don’t carry large sums of cash when going to meet a seller. Rather go with the seller to the bank and draw the money or do an electronic funds transfer (EFT) once both parties agreed to the sale. . Always take a friend along when meeting an online contact in person and preferably meet at a busy shopping mall or police station. . If possible verify the identity of a buyer by asking a copy of the person’s ID.
