Let�s be vigilant against fraud

Monitor Editor | Tuesday July 4, 2017 16:07

The young woman allegedly swindled businesses out of thousands of pulas claiming to be the assistant minister’s daughter.

The young woman used the name of a prominent figure, who is respected in the community, which made it easy for businesspeople to believe her story. It is often argued that the intelligence of victims of scamming is questionable or that they are gullible.

But, that some of these scammers come up with such believable stories that even the most intelligent person would fall for, should not be a truth to be ignored or dismissed. The Botswana Police Service (BPS) has a drama series, Itshireletse! That has been running for a number of years.

The programme sensitises viewers on different criminal activities. Since inception, Itshireletse! has depicted different criminal activities like petty theft, robbery, organized scams, emanating both locally and internationally and distribution of counterfeit money.

The programme is usually very educative, and if many people were to watch the edutainment series, they would spot scammers from a distance.

In the past, there was an organised group, mostly men who went around taking money from people under the guise of traditional doctors. Many individuals lost their hard-earned cash to these scammers. Itshireletse! Featured a number of episodes on the scammers and their modus operandi.

Criminals are always devising new ways of conning people and making easy money. So the police drama is very valuable to the community for which the police deserve commendation.

The police also frequently alert the public on the scammers, and how the pubic should take care of their property and safeguard their money from thieves.

The importance of asking for proof of identification cannot be overemphasised. Banks are strict in their processes, when they loan individuals money.

They have many requirements to make sure that they are not defrauded. Other businesses should follow suit and ensure they scrutinise their potential clients, to ensure that they do not lose all their profit