If your online love interest asks for money, you can expect it's a SCAM Picture: SAPS
"Beware of romance scams".
That was the alert SAPS posted this morning on its Facebook page at those intending on meeting online acquaintances today.
Timed for Valentine's Day, the post read: "Always approach any new online acquaintance with caution. Accepting friend requests from strangers online can expose you to exploitation. Romance scammers ask you for money after gaining your trust, usually through means of flirting or seduction – ultimately so they can ask you for money. Avoid sending compromising photos to online strangers that could later be used for extortion."
The hashtags were: #BeAwareConnectWithCare #OnlineSafety #ValentinesDay.
The SAPS added: "If your online love interest asks for money, you can expect it's a SCAM."
In the comments section, the posts took on a meaning of its own.
One user enquired about a referral for medical tests, specifically for BP (blood pressure) re-testing. Another used the opportunity to ask about the recruitment office numbers in Umtata.
The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) had also urged the public to take social engineering seriously this Valentine’s Day.
It encouraged South Africans to be cautious about social media and dating apps which were used by fraudsters and scammers, who are increasingly using romance scams and social engineering to perpetrate fraud and scams.
A 54-year-old man, who allegedly robbed a woman on their first date, recently made his first appearance in the Verulam Magistrates Court. He was arrested after he allegedly fled with the handbag of a 66-year-old woman whom he had met for the first time after matching on the online dating site Badoo. He was charged with theft.
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