If it’s too good to be true then do not get involved |13 October 2014

The Police Fraud Unit is appealing to the general public not to be conned or fall in the traps of fraudsters through all sorts of scam schemes.

The appeal comes at a time when certain individuals have exhausted all their savings and are now going around borrowing money from others with the promise that they will refund with interest after receiving their millions from abroad.

Little do those scam victims know that the personal information sought from them to get big money in return were solely for the purpose of eventual money extortion and defrauding them.

Scam schemes are normally tempting, too good to be true and very deceitful. By manipulating their victims to send money for payment, transfers or registrations fees criminals makes millions if not billions every day.

The police are therefore calling on each and every individual to be smart, very careful and avoid communicating or give any information or personal data to people they do not know especially if or when contacted by foreigners electronically or physically for deals like; overseas job recruitment, winning of lottery, jackpots or transfer and sharing of inherited fortunes.

Members of the general public are also being informed and warned that allowing oneself to fall victim to fraudster through scam schemes can not only lead you to financial bankruptcy but also allow more serious criminal activities to take place. One example is that by deliberately giving all your personal data to people you do not know, that person can even steal your identity and commit crimes in your name, crimes that you may well have to answer to.

The police said that due to the fact that they do not have jurisdiction to conduct investigation abroad, it is extremely difficult to track those fraudsters involved in such criminal activities because of so many diversions and fictitious names they create while transacting. It is best that members of the general public should completely ignore responding to any scam mails, letters, texts or even phone calls. These activities can also be reported to the police.