Bogus cops demand money to release people from custody
Northern Cape police have warned of a scam in which unsuspecting victims are asked for money in exchange for the release of a loved one from custody.
Police spokesperson said Kimberley police were urging the public to remain vigilant.
'During investigations, authorities identified a scam whereby the victim receives notification telephonically from an alleged SAPS official indicating that a person known to them has been arrested. The scammer then demands payment, and money is to be deposited via a supermarket,' she said.
Ehlers said police officers did not request payment from the public.
She urged the public to refrain from depositing money if approached.
'Always exercise caution when dealing with online and telephonic communications. If in doubt, contact your bank or the police directly,' she said.
Suspicious activities can be reported via the My SAPS app or the Crime Stop number 08600 10111. In the event of extortion, the national hotline can be reached on 0800 911 011.
News24 previously reported that online scam artists were impersonating SAPS officials looking for a bribe as part of an elaborate ploy.
The scammers allegedly used people's compromised personal information to gain their trust.
The scam starts with someone claiming to be from South Africa's communications regulator before the scammers pass targets on to fake SAPS detectives.
They charge as much as R10 000 to make 'cases' disappear.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Pretoria woman, 81, found dead at home allegedly strangled, stabbed with garden fork
Jade-Lee Natasha Smit and Lucas Mmnonwa briefly appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday, where their matter was postponed to next week. Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now Show Comments ()
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
DOJ Ties Kansas Bank Collapse to $225 Million 'Pig Butchering' Seizure
A Kansas banker who looted millions from his small-town bank in 2023, which triggered its collapse, lost much of the money to overseas crypto scammers targeted in a record-breaking DOJ bust, according to a complaint filed Wednesday. Prosecutors have filed a civil forfeiture action targeting over $225 million in laundered USDT, part of a butchering scam with ties to a Philippines call center that ensnared Shan Hanes, the disgraced former CEO who embezzled $47 million from Heartland Tri-State Bank, a theft which was directly attributed to the agricultural lender's demise in 2023. According to the Department of Justice complaint, OKX, a crypto exchange, provided key information that helped identify an intricate network of accounts on the exchange used to launder the crypto proceeds. Scammers laundered funds by first directing victims to send USDT to 93 scam-controlled deposit addresses. From there, the funds were routed through as many as 100 intermediary wallets in a process designed to obscure the source of funds and mix deposits from multiple victims, according to the complaint. These laundered funds were then funneled into 22 primary OKX accounts and further shuffled across 122 additional OKX accounts, all linked by shared IP addresses, reused KYC documents, and coordinated behavior allegedly traced to a Manila-based scam compound, which the complaint names as ITECHNO Specialist Inc. In total, the DOJ says that approximately $3 billion in transaction volume was generated by this laundering network. In total, the DOJ says there were 434 victims and has identified 60 of them who lost a combined $19.4 million. The largest of these victims was Hanes, with the DOJ identifying $3.3 million of the $47 million he embezzled in this seizure. Hanes embezzled the money between May 30, 2023, and July 7, 2023, according to both the DOJ complaint and the Federal Reserve's report into the collapse of Heartland Tri-State Bank, one of the banks to collapse in the aftermath of the 2023 U.S. banking crisis. During this six-week period, Hanes initiated 10 wire transfers totaling approximately $47.1 million from Heartland Tri-State Bank, a small community lender focused on agricultural loans, to a crypto wallet he controlled. These wire transfers occurred between the bank's quarterly regulatory reporting periods, allowing the activity to go initially undetected. At the time, Heartland was well-capitalized with $13.7 million in capital and $139 million in assets, but Hanes' actions depleted its liquidity, triggered $21 million in emergency borrowing, and left the bank with a $35 million capital hole, forcing regulators to shut it down in July 2023. According to prior reporting from CNBC, Hanes also stole $40,000 from the Elkhart Church of Christ, $10,000 from the Santa Fe Investment Club, $60,000 from his daughter's college fund, and liquidated nearly $1 million in stock from a firm called Elkhart Financial to send to pig butchering scammers. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison in August 2024. The DOJ complaint referred to him as both a perpetrator and a victim. Crypto seized by the U.S. government, such as in this case, is likely to be earmarked for a not-yet-established stockpile ordered by President Donald Trump. The bitcoin BTC reserve and the stockpile of other cryptocurrencies haven't yet been formally established, but the Treasury Department has been leading an audit of governmental digital asset holdings to determine what needs to be gathered. Once established, the long-term crypto holdings will likely put seized bitcoin in one fund and other types of tokens in another. The holdings in this case appear to be in significant amounts of USDT, according to the filing. It's unclear what funds may eventually be returned to victims, as only a relatively small percentage of those directly harmed have been identified.
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
Durban company owner arrested along with allegedly undocumented foreign truck driver staff
About 20 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested at a KwaZulu-Natal mining and logistics company after a surprise raid led by Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli. The operation was sparked by a tip-off that more than 80 undocumented truck drivers were employed there, undercutting local workers. Ntuli warned that employers hiring undocumented workers would be arrested as raids continue. At least 20 undocumented foreign nationals, believed to be truck drivers, were taken into custody on Friday morning as part of an unannounced operation at a Durban mining and logistics company. The company's owner has also been arrested, according to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, but he has not appeared in court yet and therefore cannot be identified. The premier led the operation, which took place after an anonymous tip-off that the company was employing more than 80 undocumented foreign nationals as truck drivers. 'We are here because there has been a cry from the local truck drivers that their opportunities are given to undocumented foreign nationals because they accept low salaries. Our informers told us that there are almost 85 undocumented foreign nationals who are driving trucks for this company alone. We were able to find some of them this morning,' Ntuli said. READ | Two more arrested as Hawks crack down on KZN passport syndicate He added that employers who hire undocumented foreigners must be held liable and face criminal charges because they know the law and should not employ people who do not have proper papers. 'They must be legal and within a certain category (scarce skills) before employment. No South African can go to another country without papers and be employed there. Unfortunately, our business leaders in the province employ these people. This seriously affects our economy and unemployment rate,' Ntuli said. On Thursday, Ntuli unveiled the Sibaya Coastal Precinct in Durban, a R6 billion investment that he says will create more than 70 000 jobs in five years. Ntuli assured investors they would ensure the fight against crime was heightened to attract more investors to the province. During the operation on Friday, Ntuli said: 'We need to protect our economy, and we need to protect our people. With this, we are sending a strong message to companies that are still not abiding by the law. I just decided to meet with factory owners and other businesses in the province to communicate a strong message. They must know that they will be arrested when they continue with this.' Ntuli said the operation was ongoing and that more unannounced visits could be expected to factories and companies around the province. On Wednesday, he said, the police had an operation in Hammarsdale, where more than 100 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested. On Thursday, during an operation in Chatsworth, more than 20 undocumented foreign nationals were also arrested, according to the premier. 'Those are huge numbers in the space of two days. You will find that some of them have criminal cases. Apart from going through the deportation process, they will have to face those criminal charges first,' he said. Ntuli added that the South African Bargaining Council would check whether locals working in the companies were being paid the minimum wage. In May, police raided a factory in KwaDukuza, just outside Durban, after a tip-off that a company was employing more than 300 undocumented foreign nationals as factory workers. The raid, which Ntuli also led, was also joined by provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and officials from the Departments of Labour and Home Affairs. During that raid, 179 foreign nationals were arrested, and 158 of them were found to be undocumented. Ntuli said officials were working with the Department of Home Affairs and the police to speed up the deportation process.
