The South African Police Service wishes to caution members of the public about a scam that is doing rounds across various provinces where fake letters bearing the South African Police Service logo are sent to various cellular telephone users and their personal details required by the scammers in order effect some illicit activities. The letters usually sent via WhatsApp contain the names and contact numbers of senior SAPS officers and in some instances addresses of SAPS offices
Depending on the location of the target, the content, names, addresses and contact persons are modified to legitimise the scam. In some cases the fake letters sent on WhatsApp are preceded by calls from bogus police officials who inform the victims of non-existent criminal cases opened against them.
A word of caution to targeted individuals to not supply their identity numbers and/or other personal information to the scammers.
The SAPS does not communicate with members of the public via WhatsApp and video calls.
All those individuals who were victims of this scam are urged to open cases at their respective police stations
For ease of reference, specimens of the fake letters from the scammers are herewith attached.
