"I Did Exactly What They Told Me”: Stellenbosch Woman Loses Nearly R10K in Fake Police Scam

• A Stellenbosch woman was left traumatised after falling victim to a sophisticated scam involving individuals posing as police officials
• She was convinced she was under investigation in a serious criminal case and was pressured through an extended video call involving multiple fake authorities
• The ordeal ended with her losing nearly R10,000 before she realised she had been deceived
• Briefly News spoke to Newcastle SAPS spokesperson Lizzy Arumugam, who urged the public to stay vigilant online and never share confidential information

WESTERN CAPE - A 50-year-old woman from Stellenbosch has shared how she was tricked into paying nearly R10,000 after scammers posed as police officers.

According to IOL, the woman was convinced into believing police thought she was involved in an international drug syndicate on 13 February 2026.

What happened?

The woman, who asked not to be named, said she was contacted by a man claiming to be a customs official at Cape Town International Airport. He told her that a parcel linked to her name had been intercepted and contained drugs, passports, SIM cards, and bank cards allegedly meant for Australia.

Read also

Early morning horror: woman allegedly mauled to death by dogs in Klerksdorp

Shocked and scared, she insisted she knew nothing about the parcel. However, the caller then transferred her into a series of video calls with people pretending to be police officers, a captain, and even a legal advocate.

During the four-hour call, the scammers appeared professional, wearing uniforms and sitting in office-like settings. They told her she was under investigation and needed to prove her innocence.

She was instructed to read documents sent via WhatsApp, answer questions, and show her surroundings on camera. The scammers also claimed her identity was linked to major criminal activity.

See the post from IOL here:

Woman told to transfer money to prove her innocence

The woman said she was later told she needed to pay money into a “frozen account” supposedly linked to the South African Reserve Bank. She was promised the money would be refunded within hours after her name was cleared.

Believing the process was real, she transferred R9,999 from her Nedbank account after her husband approved the payment. Soon after, she received a fake “clearance certificate” and realised she had been scammed.

Read also

"This is really sad news": US influencer's cause of death is finally confirmed, SA divided

“I was scared and did everything they said. I truly believed I was being investigated, ”she said

Police have warned that these scams are becoming more common, with criminals pretending to be officers to create fear and pressure victims into paying money. Authorities stressed that real police officers never demand payments or conduct investigations over phone or video calls.

Experts have urged the public to stay alert and verify any suspicious claims directly with SAPS.

SAPS warns the public about online scams

Speaking to Briefly News, Newcastle SAPS spokesperson Lizzy Arumugam urged the public to remain vigilant against online scams. She advised people not to click on links in unsolicited emails or messages and to avoid sharing personal or banking information over the phone. Arumugam stressed that banks will never ask customers to disclose confidential details, passwords, or one-time PINs (OTPs). She also encouraged internet users to verify that they are on legitimate banking websites by checking for secure URLs and padlock symbols before entering any information. If a person receives an unexpected OTP, loses mobile connectivity suddenly, or suspects their information has been compromised, they should contact their bank immediately. Arumugam further recommended using strong passwords and changing them regularly to reduce the risk of fraud

Read also

Mel Viljoen dragged by Afrikaans community after claiming she missed them: "She's full of herself"

Police officer scammed out of millions

In related news, scores of South Africans were deeply surprised to learn that a seasoned police officer fell victim to romance fraud and lost almost R3 million. The former police captain met the Ugandan national, who posed as a medical doctor, in Rustenburg, North West, in September 2023. The alleged romance scammer, Kalvin Sofika, reportedly convinced a 53-year-old victim to take out multiple loans on his behalf. Thereafter, she persuaded the man to resign from his job, promising a shared future. The suspect then allegedly disappeared with the victim’s R2 million pension payout.

Four prisoners scam victims out of R1.3 million

Previously, Briefly News reported that four prisoners have been charged with extortion following the discovery of an elaborate scam they were running out of their jail cells. They posed as fake police officers using information and images from unsuspecting police officers' social media accounts to target men who used a secret online dating service. The extortion scam was able to swindle R1.3 million from the victims in South Africa.

Source: Briefly News