The Too-Good-To-Be-True Trap: Carletonville Police Sound Alarm on Social Media Scams

Imagine spotting the perfect car onlinethe exact model you want, in great condition, listed for a price that seems almost too good to be true. For a growing number of Carletonville residents, that enticing social media ad has turned into a financial nightmare, marking a sharp and worrying rise in local fraud cases.

Police in the area are issuing an urgent plea for vigilance, confirming a significant spike in scams orchestrated entirely through social media platforms. “People lost money after they purchased a variety of goods. We continue to warn people, but they do not seem to listen,” said Colonel Wessel Prinsloo of the Carletonville Detectives, underscoring the relentless nature of the crime.

The Modus Operandi: A “Holding Fee” Hook

The scam follows a distressingly simple script. Criminals advertise high-value items, most commonly vehicles, at irresistibly low prices to attract quick interest. Once a buyer bites, the seller introduces a sense of urgency and a critical next step: a “holding fee.”

This deposit, often a few thousand rand, is requested to “secure” the deal before viewings or paperwork. In more brazen cases, scammers pressure victims into paying the full amount upfront. Once the electronic payment clears, the seller vanishesphone numbers go dead, profiles are deleted, and the dream deal evaporates.

Why It’s So Hard to Stop: The Money Trail Maze

The cold reality, police explain, is that recovering lost funds is exceptionally difficult. The moment the money hits the scammer’s account, it is swiftly withdrawn and funneled through a series of other bank accounts in a practice known as “money muling.” Investigators note that these intermediary accounts often belong to individuals in the Western Cape, complicating cross-provincial efforts.

This leads to a stern secondary warning from law enforcement: letting someone else use your bank account is a crime. “Anyone who lets another person pay money into his or her bank account and then withdraw it for them, usually for a fee, is also guilty of fraud,” Colonel Prinsloo emphasized. By becoming a “money mule,” you are aiding criminals and face serious prosecution.

Protecting Yourself: The Golden Rules

The police advice boils down to foundational rules for safe online trading:

• Meet in Person, Inspect the Item: Never pay for an item you haven’t seen and verified in person, especially high-value goods like cars.

• Reject “Holding Fees”: Legitimate sellers do not require deposits to simply “hold” an item before you’ve committed with a proper sale agreement.

• Verify the Seller: Be skeptical of new social media profiles with little history. If possible, verify the seller’s identity through other means.

• Use Secure Payment Methods: Avoid direct cash transfers to strangers. Use platforms with payment protection or insist on payment only upon collection.

In an age where a great deal is just a click away, the Carletonville police remind us that if an offer seems too good to be true, it almost always is. Let the buyer bewarenow more than ever.