There is a scam underway where criminals call victims of stolen or hijacked vehicles to embezzle money from them. Theynormally follow the modus operandi as stipulated below:The owner of the vehicle will report it as stolen or hijacked to the SAPS.Sometimes a few hours or even a few days after having reported the matter these scammers will call the complainant inthe SAPS case and pretend to be from some police station far from where the vehicle was reported stolen, like for instanceKomatipoort SAPS if the vehicle was stolen in Gauteng.The scammer will advise the complainant that the SAPS has recovered his vehicle and that he/she must pay the SAPS a feefor towing the vehicle back to the complainant. These scammers are professionals and will even have the sound of policeradios in the background to make the scam more plausible.In many cases the client will pay this fee believing that his vehicle is on the way back to him.Soon after the first payment the scammer will tell the client that the towing vehicle broke down and that he/she must pay afurther amount. This will go on for as long as the client is paying the money, meanwhile the vehicle has never been recovered.If you are contacted by anyone and told that your vehicle is recovered, please ask for the following information:• The name and number for the person who called?• To which police station or pound will the vehicle be moved?• If available ask for the SAP13 number?Once the client has been advised of the recovery of his/her vehicle, they should contact the assessor appointed on the claimimmediately. The assessor will contact the person who’s contact number has been provided to verify if this is a legitimaterecovery or part of the scam.Please be advised that the SAPS will never request any payment for the recovery of a stolen vehicle and our clients should beadvised to never pay for such service.Santam is working with the relevant authorities to assist with investigations to apprehend these suspects and end this scam.Should the client pay any money towards such scam, the loss will unfortunately not be recovered from Santam.
GESTEELDE VOERTUIE – BEDROG MET TERUGKRYGINGDaar is tans ‘n bedrogspul aan die gang waar misdadigers slagoffers van gesteelde of gekaapte voertuie skakel om geld vanhulle te verkry. Hulle volg gewoonlik die onderstaande werkwyse.Die eienaar van die voertuig sal dit as gesteel of gekaap by die SAPD aangee.Soms skakel die bedrieërs die klaer in die SAPD-saak binne ‘n paar uur of selfs ‘n paar dae nadat die saak aangegee is en geevoor dat hulle van ‘n polisiestasie is wat ver is vanwaar die voertuig as gesteel aangegee is, soos byvoorbeeld KomatipoortSAPD as die voertuig in Gauteng gesteel is.Die bedrieër sal die klaer in kennis stel dat die SAPD die voertuig teruggevind het en dat hy/sy ‘n fooi aan die SAPD moetbetaal om die voertuig terug te sleep na die klaer toe. Hierdie bedrieërs is professioneel en sal selfs die geluid vanpolisieradio’s op die agtergrond hê om die bedrogspul meer geloofbaar te maak.In baie gevalle sal die kliënt die fooi betaal omdat hy/sy van mening is dat die voertuig op pad terug is na hom/haar toe.Kort ná die eerste betaling sal die bedrieër die kliënt meedeel dat die sleepvoertuig onklaar geraak het en dat hy/sy nog ‘nbedrag moet betaal. Dit sal aanhou so lank as die kliënt die geld betaal. In werklikheid is die voertuig nooit teruggevind nie.Indien iemand jou skakel en jou meedeel dat jou voertuig teruggekry is, vra asseblief die volgende inligting:• Die naam en nommer van die persoon wat geskakel het.• Na watter polisiestasie of skut die voertuig geneem sal word.• Die SAP13-nommer, indien beskikbaar.Sodra die kliënt in kennis gestel word van die terugkryging van sy/haar voertuig, moet hy/sy onmiddellik die assessor skakelwat vir die eis aangestel is. Die assessor sal die persoon wie se kontaknommer verskaf is, skakel om te bevestig of dit ‘nwettige terugkryging of deel van ‘n bedrogspul is.Let asseblief daarop dat die SAPD nooit enige betaling vir die terugkryging van ‘n gesteelde voertuig sal aanvra nie en onskliënte moet aangeraai word om nooit vir sodanige diens te betaal nie.Santam werk met die betrokke owerhede saam om hulp te verleen met ondersoeke om hierdie verdagtes aan te keer en ‘neinde aan die bedrogspul te maak.Indien die kliënt enige geld met betrekking tot so ‘n bedrogspul betaal het, sal Santam hom/haar ongelukkig nie vir die verliesvergoed nie.
