12 April 2007
The Commercial Branch of the South African Police Service hereby wishes to
warn the community and businesses of a scam that involves the South African
Police Service. The modus operandi is as follows:
The perpetrators send out a letter to a business under a letterhead of the
South African Police Service, Serious Economic Offences Unit, Johannesburg
stating that the unit is administrating the funds of a suspect they are
investigating until the courts have finalised the case. Furthermore, that the
control over the funds is in the hands of the state. The business/person is
informed that post-dated cheques had been submitted to them for payment and
that they must not submit the cheques to the bank for collection, as the South
African Police Service will not allow the encashment of the cheques.
The business is then requested to complete an individual questionnaire, an
application form and a business owner questionnaire and to fax it to an 086
number. It is alleged that the State needs the information provided in the
questionnaires to determine whether the person and/or business does exist and
that the "suspect" is not trying to pay monies to himself while purporting to
be paying it to the person or business. It is suspected that this information
is required for fraudulent activities.
The South African Police Service wishes to state the following regarding
these letters:
* The letters are false. They are not printed on the official letterheads of
the South African Police Service. They are incorrectly referenced and the
format is incorrect.
* The Commercial Branch does not have a Serious Economic Offences Unit in
Johannesburg.
* The South African Police Service will not control any funds in criminal
cases.
* The letters that has now surfaced is regarding a case against a "Mr Kunene"
that is being investigated. The Serious Economic Offences Unit is not
investigating such a case.
Any person receiving any form of correspondence with such or similar offer,
should, without delay, contact the Commercial Branch, Head Office of the South
African Police Service at (012) 393 2108 during office hours.
Enquiries:
Supt Ronnie Naidoo
National Spokesman: Media Relations
Tel: (012) 393 5506
Fax: (012) 393 5525/27
Cell: 082 778 4311
E-mail: mediarelations@saps.org.za
Issued by: South African Police Service
12 April 2007
