They have been doing the rounds for a number of years and when you Google them, sure enough scam sites abound with stories of how these scams work. It seems in South Africa they are pretty low key, aiming not necessarily at big money but as a means of keeping them in air time. This is the SMS I received…
1.5M – is it 1.5M rands or US dollars or Zim dollars? I’m not about to find out. If you get an SMS like this, hit delete. It’s a scam. If you contact Mrs Vicky, she will have hooked a possible victim and will engage you in what needs to be done. She may ask you to send her R350 of airtime so that she can transfer the 1.5M into your bank account. And that would be the last of the R350 you see. And you won’t get the money either. She would score R350 of airtime to send out another batch of bogus smsses.
Worse still, she may suggest there are bank charges that need to be paid and to please put an amount of money into her account, so that the 1.5M can be paid. If you do, you will never see it again.
The rules to prevent scams are as follows:
- You cannot win a lottery of any type without entering it. These ‘random’ draws are all fake.
- NEVER respond to someone you don’t know who is asking for money. They are fraudsters.
- NEVER give out your bank details to someone who claims you have won something.
- NEVER give your banking pin code to anyone.
- If someone comes to your house collecting money for charity, ask for an identity document and proof that they are who they say they are. Call the charity asking if they are legit.
- Read the fine print. & don’t rush a transaction.
- If someone wants to give you something for free, be suspicious.
- If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
- Don’t ever let a stranger borrow your phone without dialing the number for him/her. Don’t let it out of your sight….that’s how sim swaps happen.
- Use Google to find out if something is a scam. If you have any suspicions, walk away.
Dishonest people have be around since time immemorial.
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
God has given us all free will and the thieves too have the freedom to live a life of crime. But one day they (and I) will have to give an account of everything we have done.
It’s not about now.
Regardless of the scams in this world, let’s enjoy life to the full.
Today I ticked another box for 2017 –
# 192 of my 1000 thanks – I went to the gynae for a check up. #Fist-pump!
There has been great progress around the house. The wall is painted. I’ll post a before and after soon. And the security gates are in, so we are enjoying not worrying that we’ve left the balcony doors open.
Work is revving up. I have major deadlines to meet this Sunday, then Tuesday and Wednesday.
These are the days!
Keep the smile going!
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx đŸ™‚