A sharp rise in fraudulent activities, particularly cyber and phone scams, has left residents of Table View and neighbouring policing precincts such as Milnerton reeling, with local authorities urging the public to remain vigilant.
Criminals have become increasingly brazen in their attempts, often posing as police officers or representatives from major organisations to extort money from unsuspecting victims.
According to Capt Adriana Chandler, spokesperson for the Table View Police, a series of complaints have recently been logged involving scammers impersonating law enforcement.
“In these incidents, the suspects introduce themselves using a fabricated rank, name, surname, and even provide a fake SAPS persal number,” said Chandler.
“They then claim that the victim’s ID has been linked to a criminal case and demand payment to ‘clear’ the ID.”
She emphasised that no police officer will ever request funds from the public, under any circumstances.
“This is not how the SAPS operates,” Capt Chandler reiterated. “We are concerned about the increase in these types of scams and urge residents not to fall for these deceitful tactics.”
Victims
Among the growing number of victims is Margaret du Preez, a 74-year-old retiree from a local retirement village. She shared her distressing experience: “I received a WhatsApp message saying I had won R250,000, and that I needed to open a new bank account to receive it. I was told to pay several ‘release fees’ first.
I ended up losing nearly R15 000 before I realised it was a scam—I had never entered any competition.”
In another case, Clive Moonsamy, a 38-year-old professional from Milnerton, was contacted by someone pretending to be a detective from the police.
“They told me my ID was used in a fraud case and that I had to deposit money to get it cleared.
“It sounded so official, they even gave me a rank and a badge number. I deposited R5 000 before I realised I had been conned.”
Authorities report that these incidents are not isolated to Table View alone but are also occurring in the Milnerton policing precinct, indicating a broader pattern of cyber fraud affecting Cape Town’s West Coast suburbs.
In response to the growing threat, the community is invited to attend a Crime Awareness Talk hosted by the SAPS in collaboration with Da Vinci Cyber Security, which will focus on cybercrime, scam prevention, and how to identify and report fraudulent activity.
The talk will be held on Thursday, 17 April 2025, at 11:00 at the Church on the Rise, corner of Porterfield Road and the R27. All residents are encouraged to attend.
Chandler concluded with a stern warning to the community.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
“If you didn’t enter a competition, you can’t have won anything. And if someone claiming to be a police officer asks you for money—report it immediately. Protect yourself and your loved ones.”
Victims of fraud are encouraged to report incidents at their nearest police station and contact the Table View police directly at 021 521 3300.
