Pinelands police are warning the community not to fall prey to online scams.
Pinelands police station commander Lieutenant Colonel Anton van der Berg says they get regular reports of people being scammed by crooks who use email and social media.
“People receive emails informing them that they have won money and are requested to pay a ’deposit’ in order to claim the prize. The victim proceeds to pay the ’deposit’ without making any queries into the legality of the transaction,” he says.
When the “deposit” is paid, the perpetrator requests further payments.
“In the end, the victim is defrauded out of a lot of money without receiving the prize money,” he says.
Lieutenant Colonel Van der Berg says people should refrain from responding to unknown emails and requests on social media.
