Police warn people to exercise caution with online purchases after five scam cases reported

Police are urging members of the public to exercise caution when making online purchases after their M-PAiSA Task Force charged five more individuals in connection with cases of obtaining financial advantage by deception.

They say these cases involve alleged scams where the accused dishonestly obtained money from unsuspecting members of the public through online transactions.

In the first case, a 32-year-old woman from Tavakubu, Lautoka, is accused of obtaining $200 on July 28, 2023, and the money was allegedly transferred to her by a second accused who has already been charged and has appeared in court.

The woman is said to have used the money for her MasterCard after facilitating the transfer without the victim's knowledge.

In the second case, a 20-year-old resident of Waiyavi, Lautoka, is accused of dishonestly obtaining $327 on March 4, 2023, where the victim had transferred the money for the purchase of six bags of chicken advertised on Facebook.

The accused allegedly withdrew the money but failed to deliver the goods.

Police say the same 20-year-old is also alleged to be involved in a similar scam with a 50-year-old man from Lautoka.

They say in March 2023, the two reportedly obtained $820 from another victim for payments of six bags of chicken, also advertised on Facebook where they allegedly withdrew the money and did not provide the goods.

In another incident, a 24-year-old man is accused of obtaining $200 from a member of the public for an item advertised on Facebook, while receiving the money, the accused allegedly cut off all communication with the victim.

The final case involves a 33-year-old man accused of obtaining $190 in April, 2024 as a deposit for timber advertised online through Facebook.

All five accused will appear in the Lautoka Magistrates Court today.

Police are advising members of the public to verify sales, inspect items where possible, and use trusted contacts to check on goods in another division.

They say that it’s also recommended to verify the legitimacy of sales agents through a quick call to the company they claim to represent, particularly when bulk goods are offered at discounted prices.

Police say that taking these precautions can help avoid falling victim to online scams.