The Top 10 Scam Types in South Africa

Today I want to inform you about the Top 10 Scam Types in South Africa. Unfortunately scammers don’t rest in this day and age and it’s important that Junk Mail users and the South African public be aware of this.

According to a spokesperson from the Hawks, cyber crime is costing South Africa millions every year, even though the scammers have to work hard to get a “hit”.  Most people will question dodgy communication from scammers, but unfortunately someone will always take the bait – one of the reasons why you will always get scammers looking to make a quick buck.

When it comes to scams remember the following 4 things:

  • If something sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
  • Never respond to an e-mail, SMS or phone call requiring you to submit personal information (even if it’s in the form of a threat to your account being suspended due to some third-party interference).
  • Never participate in any “sale of goods”, “survey”, “competition”, “lottery” or “inheritance” scheme requiring any personal information over the phone or the internet.
  • If you’re selling something, confirm payment with your bank before releasing the goods, and if you don’t remember entering a competition or buying a lottery ticket, you haven’t won anything.

Plain and simple, isn’t it? If you live by these 4 rules you should be okay. Check out the list op the top 10 scam types in South Africa below, I’m pretty sure that you’ll find this information useful:

  1. The 419 heartbreaker scam: This latest version of the 419 scam targets online dating sites. A girl or a guy romances someone over the internet for a few weeks and then comes up with a story that he / she been in a submarine accident and had lost all their money. Inevitably he / she asks their new found other half to send a cash advance to them. The 419 heartbreakers correspondence looks authentic and is oozing with charm, but in reality its being generated by criminal syndicates (usually made up of people of different nationalities).
  2. Phishing: Many of you are probably familiar with phishing. Fake E-mails are sent out by scammers. They claim that they’re from a bank (ABSA, Standard Bank or other South African banks) and that you have to do various things online to confirm your details, etc. All this is done in order to gain access to your bank accounts.
  3. Smishing: This is basically the SMS version of Phishing. South Africa has one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world and it is a wide open field. Many people have received an SMS message requesting that verify their account or in some cases an alarmist message that you make a call rather than visiting a false link. The person on the other end of the line is a fraudster who is after personal information (include your PIN code).  Remember that no bank will ever ask you for your PIN code over the phone.
  4. False payment confirmations: Junk Mail users knows this scam as the SMS Payment confirmation scam. Basically a hoax payment confirmation SMS is sent out by the scammer to confirm payment and it appears to be from your bank. To best way to avoid being caught is to verify that money has been deposited into your account – always. Never release the goods that you’re selling if you aren’t 100% sure that you’ve received payment.
  5. Unethical app downloads charges: Scammers and unethical developers are now making use of premium-rated SMSes in an attempt to defraud people via the mobile applications they download onto their mobile phones. Google removed 22 applications from the Android cellphone market (now known as Google Play) because they conned people into agreeing to premium SMS charges. The first line of defence against any kind of SMS fraud is to thoroughly check your phone bill for any unusual amounts being deducted. Also Only download the more popular apps to avoid this scam.
  6. SIM Swops: One of the ways that a phishing scam can go is a SIM swop scam. The scammer already has your cellphone number and can get enough additional information to request a SIM swop from your network operator. That way they have access to both your bank account details and the SIM card needed to complete transactions. To prevent this SA mobile operators have increased security surrounding SIM swops and this kind of fraud is declining.
  7. Credit Card Skimming: This is a global problem. Credit Card Skimming usually takes place when a fraudster captures card data on devices similar to those used for legitimate point-of-sale or ATM transactions. These devices fit nicely over the card slot on an ATM and some of them even include a camera to record the PIN code. The main point of compromise in this kind of scam is when you hand your card to someone to do a transaction. Never let your card out of your sight and when entering your PIN, cover the PIN pad.
  8. Unscrupulous subscription services: Cellphone users should take note that unscrupulous wireless application service providers (WASPs) can bill any South African cell number and can even detect and record cell phone numbers if you’re browse their websites using your cellphone. On a mobile device all that is needed to bill you is your cellphone number. Make sure that you check your phone bills looking for charges you did not authorize or ongoing charges for subscription services that you did not realise were not once-offs
  9. Counterfit merchandise: Beware of fakes when you’re buying something expensive. It’s big business and a lot of it’s happening online. Recently police arrested four men who tried to con someone into buying fake gems (which had a value of R250,000). The person who was the mark for this scam set up a sting operation and the men were arrested. The gems turned out nothing more than four pieces of glass covered in the melted silicone tube from a TV set.
  10. Microsoft Scam: Scammers call you on your cellphone or home phone claiming to be working for Microsoft. They tell you that they have found out you have a problem with your home computer. They’ll ask you all sorts of questions and prompt you to do all sorts of things with your computer to sort out the problem. The aim of all of this is to get into your computer remotely so they can access all your private info. You could also be told that you’ve won the Microsoft Lottery and that Microsoft requires credit card information to validate your copy of Windows. Another one is unsolicited e-mails from Microsoft requesting a security update. All scams. Don’t get caught by them.

There you have it, information on the top 10 scam types in South Africa. I trust that you have found this information useful. If you encounter a scam or scammer when using the Junk Mail website, please report them to us. You can contact our Customer Care Department via ccc@junkmail.co.za or telephonically on 012-3423840 x2295 (during office hours). Check out our Safety & Security page for more scam warnings and useful tips.

The original article was posted in The Star on the 4th of October (today).

Henno Kruger

Digital Marketing Campaign Coordinator at Junk Mail Publishing.

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297 Responses

  1. Michael says:

    Greetings, I would like to obtain permission to link this article to our Facebook page (http://facebook.com/ZASpamSpotters). Although, this might be more the request after the fact 😉 Let me know, Ill be happy to remove it.

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Thanks for letting us know Michael 🙂 We appreciate the extra exposure and that you’re willing to spread awareness about this 🙂

      • Celeste says:

        there is a Osman Mundhree from Durban, he is giving out loans for people that can not get it via a bank, his company is intertradefour. He takes money from people and never give them the loans. Afterwards he denies receiving the money. He is a big scammer online.

        • Henno Kruger says:

          Thanks for sharing Celeste

        • Johan says:

          I guys, I nearly fell for this oak but when he said he can get me an investor but that I needed to pay R100 000 for and investment of R2000 000 I smelled a rat. But I can get to him if you want to tag along.

      • Lorraine says:

        Henno hi my name is lorraine I’m from wellington. I want to join Tissa,it’s they say a company where you can earn up toR800a day by copy and paste on your computer.do you know maybe if they are also scaming. I’m looking for work. I’ve got a computer. Do u know of reliable firms on the net?

        • gerda says:

          Lorraine, ek wil ook weet of Tissa of Datahub ‘n scam is. Ek het aangesluit, my geld betaal. Nou moet ek net inlog, maar ek kry dit nie reg nie. Die nommer wat mens moet bel werk nie, die sites maak nie oop nie. Toe ek wel by iemand uitkom, se die girl sy kan nie help nie, ek moet ‘n ander nommer bel, waar daar ook geen antwoord is nie.

          • Monty Pienaar says:

            Ek het by Tissa aangesluit en baie ure se werk daar ingesit, Alhoewel ek hope navrae vir die produkte wereldwyd per e-pos ontvang het, het dit op my profiel gewys dat niemand die produkte aangekoop het nie. By navrae het hulle baie verskonings gehad en na +- 3 maande se se dag en nag werk het ek tot nou toe nie 1 sent gemaak nie. Ek beveel Tissa glad nie aan nie!!!

        • kirana says:

          hi lorraine

          did you manage to get feedback whether tissa is a legitimate company?

        • Maggie says:

          That’s what they say but it costs you R390 and the info is very complicated, for me anyhow and I am 60 And you have to advertise to sell the product you bought through them for the next people to buy and do the same.

        • Maggie says:

          Lorraine, did you join Tissa and what do you think? I have joined in November and still don’t know what to do with all the info.

          • kerri says:

            i joined tissa in feburary and i also dont know what i am supposed to do to start earning the money they supposedly say you can earn. i have written this off because i cant afford to waste my data on bs did you perhaps come right and if yes how

        • Veronica Marais says:

          Hi Lorrain
          I need consultants and, it is not a scam but a real income for you.

          Send your CV to me and I will get back to you.

          • gretha swart says:

            Dalk moontlik dat iemand my groot asb stap vir stap wys hoe om die datahub copy and paste onder die knie te kry?Madelein by datahub het my meegedeel dat n mens tot 20 posts per uur kan maak, maar met die maklike 45 stappe gaan ek dit nie regkry nie, ek sukkel my dood om aan die gang te kom, 4 weke gelede aangesluit. Baie dankie !!

          • Ongelukkig kan ons jou nie hiermee help nie Gretha. As jy enige vrae het rakende Junk Mail advertensies, sal ons jou kan help 🙂

          • manki says:

            hi Veronica you still looking for consultants? ive joined Tissa as like other people im stuck. I was hoping will get something from it.

          • Sharon says:

            Hi Veronica

            Are you still looking for consultants??

          • Jaxqui De Boer says:

            Hi Veronica
            Wandered if you still need consultants

          • Liam says:

            Hi Veronica

            Are u still looking for consultants?

      • Stephanie says:

        Could you tell me if http://www.cstelectronics.co.za is a legit business? Thank you.

  2. Andre Kruger says:

    Date: 07 January 2013

    I was looking for a puppy on junkmail, and saw the adorable english bulldog, free for adoption.
    The only requirement was that a loving home for it, so I appliad via email on junkmail.
    With in a hour a email was send saying the following…

    Re: Bulldog Puppy-(Bar​on) for free adoption
    Hi ,
    Thank you for the mail of interest on our Cute Bulldog Puppy Tina and yes she is a Female puppy. Actually we did not have any intentions to re-home her but at this point in time we have to find a new home for her where she will be showered with the same love and affection. she is AKC registered, had his first shots, Well socialized with kids and other home pets, Obedient, Home,Crate and Potty Trained. We are not selling him,we need just assurance that you will take very good care of her.

    I work with the UN Malaria Committee and we are on a Volunteer mission to Southern Cameroon in regards to the disease in pregnant women and Children, so we are carrying out census now and that takes a lot of my time since i am leading the committee. The climatic conditions here in Cameroon are not favoring Tina so the vet has advised me to send her back to the south Africa. If you can assure us that you will take very good care of her and send us pictures and updates from time to time, i will let you have her.

    You will be paying only his return flight charges. I paid R 650 total to bring her here so it will cost the same to ship him back. Let me know if you are adopting her as a pet or for breeding purposes. And if you have any experience with dogs. I have attached a few current pictures of Tina, hope you like them. Waiting to Read from you asap.

    ms jecenta rose jecen.

    When I read this I new this was a scam right away

    1. I asked for a female pup, the heading reads Baron, and in the mail content it stats Tina, but still refers to the pup as “him”.
    2. I looked in the Pretoria-East junkmail, This lady works in Cameroon.
    3. There is money involved. The ad said free.
    4. English bulldog pup is around R4000 to R6500 (Too good to be true).

    SCAM ALERT

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Andre – Thanks for sharing this with us. Please forward us any e-mails that this person has sent to you. Contact our Customer Care Department via ccc@junkmail.co.za

    • mandla simelane says:

      Thank Andre for the amazing story,I’ve nearly become one victim of those people. I came across an advert about a 2006 audi for20000 I tried to call the number that was there but it was not working then I decided to email the person asking about the car.

      He replied telling about just divorced and now in a vacation to cameroon sins working for the un as their language advisor. Selling the car because it was built for south African standard to anyone for that price but the car worth about R290000.

      Second email says I’m gone as I told you and now the car is in cape town and is not registerd as I’ve just bought it so you will have to agree if you will pay for registration and transport the sum of R4700 then we will move to the next stage.

      But after reading your story I can see clearly now that this is scam. Thank you very much god bless you.

      • Henno Kruger says:

        Thanks for sharing Mandla

      • Craig Woods says:

        The motoring ads are full of ‘too good to be true’ motorhomes. One guy claimed to be in Togo and wanted just the money to ship the vehicle back to South Africa.They are all divorced,living and working in the Uk for the next 3 years and are selling at a bargain price.

    • Tracey says:

      I replied to the same advert on Saturday. My son was so excited and I too got a sting of emails from her – including her passport! I get an email this morning stating that I need to pay for the kennel of which the fees will be refunded when I collect the puppy tomorrow morning. Just the spelling errors made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end so I googled her name and am now shattered to hear that she is exploiting people’s feelings. She said the dog’s name was Ashley!!

  3. Yolandi McKenzie says:

    I am wanting to sell my BB Bold 9900, just got a mail from a lady wanting to buy it for her son. I must ship it to him in Nigeria as a surprise. I received fake mails from CITIBANK confirming the payment was made to my account and once I sent them the shipping code, the money will be “released”. Spelling etc on the mails are pathetic coming from a bank. I did forward them to you….

  4. Wesley blignaut says:

    Can anyone help? I wanna now if TISSA (The Income Solution South Africa) is a scam.

  5. Arnold says:

    I would like to know if EFTFORME’ is a scam or not?

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Arnold – We have not had scam reports about this on Junk Mail, but there have been a few online. We will be removing the two adverts on our website. This sounds like a scam. We don’t advertise work from home opportunities because most of them are illegal in South Africa.

  6. Lucas says:

    http://www.junkmail.co.za/hi-tech/tv/gauteng/pretoria/samsung-pn51e6500-51-inch-1080p-600hz-3d-slim-led-hd-tv-23833973

    i am out R8570.00 these are scammers. first they sated the price is R5450.00 witch i payed then they said i have to pay another R3120.00 for import tax witch i then payed then they said i have to pay for 8 televisions witch i refused Then they said if i pay for only one television more they will send me my first television and 2 free televisions
    there is only a sell phone number for you to use
    do not fall for this if any one wants any information i will be more than happy to send the emails on to you, that they sent me

  7. vicky says:

    i receieved an sms saying that my cellphone number won R500000 in vw car 2013 promotion – is this real or a scam

  8. james says:

    Pls I want to know if http://www.mensshoecentre.co.za/ is a scam site or not? i will like to order from them asap. Thanks

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi James – We are not affiliated with this website. It does look legit, but try and check other sources online to make 100% sure.

    • Patrick says:

      I hv been receiving letters frm international merchandise services en lifestyle telling me tht i won 118.0000 bt i never got myslf in any sort of competions en say i must deposit 480 in their bank account ist a scam

    • Josephine Chalmers says:

      James – Seriously….using scammer grammar here. Even scammers get on sites used to warn others!

  9. Bianca says:

    Ek was amper met die selfde storie gevang, 2 scarlet macaws wat verniet is en wat net n goeie huis nodig het, dit was te goed om waar te wees. maar aan die ander kant wou ek dit glo want dus so wonderlik om te weet ek kry twee pragtige papegaaie. Alles het goed verloop ek het even haar ID ontvang en n brief van Skyline Express Cargo gekry, en kamma n kwitasie van courier waar ek hok moet kry wat R2200 kos en as ek die hok terug gee kry sou ek geld terug kry. Ek niks weer gehoor nie? Kan dit n scam wees of hoe

  10. Nyima says:

    i also got such mail from some refugee camp from south africa.i got two diff mail but when i analysed them both were written by same lady.i knew that they were scam.so i did time pass for long time and even i ask their naked photo.they are some kind of stupid also.i got naked photo.she said that her parents were klilled in some civil war n her father was some kind of gov.official n have huge amt.she want help to take that money from bank by me n have to contact bank immediately bec her father leave next kin to her.i time pass a lots after that there is no reply.so what i sjust want to say is never greed in money both scumberg n pray by leaving humanithy behind.even if u possess whole world wealth at ur death is same as poor people or begger.

  11. Christine says:

    Scammer on eBay keeps sending me fake PayPal information goes under the name of grace cole.
    Uses this email coolega020@rediffmail.com

  12. Nanette says:

    I received the email below after applying for a vacant position that was advertised.

    Some wannabe scammer / creep/ crook / freak now has my I D number, address, phone number, photos of me, my email address and other personal information etc!!! Not a very comforting thought …..*#@+”‘#@ !!9?¤!?

    Thanks for the email kindly deliver ur cv,copy of id,reg fees to our
    offices AT RANK PERSONNEL CONSULT OFFICE cAPE TOWN.
    http://www.rankpconsult.co.za, personally and meet our secretaries(tshidi or
    stephanie) who will give u all the details and since u dont have at
    least 10 years work experience, u must come prepared to register and
    undergo our 2wks training program be4 job placement which is
    guaranteed after 2wks of training, training begins on monday 29th
    and 6th of may 2013; after you receive our certificate, and ur placed
    into the job

    There is registration fees of R1500 payable as u register, training
    fees varies from course to course usually between R1500-R2000 but
    payable at the end of the course, this is your opportunity to be put
    into job early this year, please come with this email printed out as
    proof that you were considered. WE GUARANTEE UR JOB PLACEMENT AFTER
    THE COURSE, WE DO SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH YOU GUARANTEEING YOUR JOB
    PLACEMENT AFTER TRAINING,SO COME AND REGISTER.we are open betweeen
    8:30 am to 4:30pm,.

    Alternatively, if ur not able to come and register personally, u can
    register online http://www.ibmit.co.za, and you can pay ur registration fees
    through our banking system,and you come with your proof of payment
    before monday ,29th of april or monday 6th may respectively to start
    ur training.
    Banking details are remeber the offer is on first come first served basis,
    BANK : ABSA
    ACCOUNT NAME: IBMIT PTY LTD
    SAVINGS ACCOUNT NUMBER : 9236803738
    BRANCH CODE: 632005
    DEPOSIT REFERENCE NUMBER: UR ID NUMBER
    THANK YOU AGAIN

    MS Brenda Meyers/RYAN ROWZ

    Administrator(S)Rank Personnel Consult/IBMITSA

    TEL 0218365519, 0604601533,

    Alternatively, if ur not able to come and register personally, u can
    register online http://www.ibmit.co.za, and you can pay ur registration fees
    through our banking system,and you come with your proof of payment
    before tuesday18th march to start ur training.
    Banking details are
    BANK : ABSA
    ACCOUNT NAME: IBMIT PTY LTD
    SAVINGS ACCOUNT NUMBER : 9236803738
    BRANCH CODE: 632005
    DEPOSIT REFERENCE NUMBER: UR ID NUMBER

  13. Keith says:

    I advertised a set of oregon pine windows/door for around R28000 and received a call to say he would pay me cash in Vanderbijlpark and pick it up in a few weeks time. I live in Benoni and was puzzled that he would buy it unseen, however, off I went with my adult son and met the guy who lives in Angola. What followed was a typical scam whereby the guy asked us to pick up an Arab from Dubai who was due to pay him lots of money for diamonds and both cash and diamonds were flashed around in front of us in the car but the deal was not concluded. We had to go and vist the owner of the diamonds nearby to agree on a minimum price for the them but upon meeting the third guy, he wanted his diamonds back and wouldn’t release them again unless a “deposit” was left with him. Of course, it was expected that we would do so. We left. Obviously, they wanted our money and would have disappeared with it. Beware sellers if they want to buy an item unseen!

    • Skeepie says:

      Keith,

      The exact same thing happened to me this past weekend, but with a difference.
      The moment I saw the cash and the diamonds the police was there arresting me for diamond smuggling. The guy who was supposedly buying my motorcycle was also arrested and taken away in a marked police vehicle to Vereeniging and two of the officers jumped in my car telling me to drive to the police station. As I was about to follow the Police vehicle the armed police men in my car demanded I go in the opposite direction as I am going to Lenasia police station. On the way there I was stripped of my wallet, cell, and my ID. This was when they started demanding R50,000 or they will arrest me. I made it clear that I did not have that kind of money and they asked me to borrow from someone, but they need it before the bank closes. At this stage I realized that they are not real police but that this whole thing was a scam and the guy who was arrested was also in on the thing. After driving around with me for more than 3 hours I started asking them for identification which they refused to show me. I kept asking for ID and they talked around it all the time. Eventually they told me stop at a Shell garage in Lenasia and they jumped out the car throwing my empty wallet, phone and id back into the car.

    • Feelix says:

      Hi Keith
      Can you remember the guy’s name you met in Vanderbijlpark ? The same thing happened to me. I advertised my car online and this guy claiming to be a truck driver from Namibia phoned me to meet in Vanderbijlpark where he would pay cash and collect the car in a week’s time.The rest is almost exactly the same as it happened to you. But the guy wanting to buy my car asked me to pose as the buyer to the 3rd guy to sweeten the deal for him. He would then cut me in on the profit he makes from buying and selling the diamonds. I am talking big money here. I told him that I don’t have money on me for the “deposit” and I left. He even phoned me later to deposit the money to him so that he can make the deal!. He would then pay the money for the deposit back plus my cut of the deal and the money for my car cash in to my bank account all on the same day !

  14. Keith says:

    Just had another call from a guy wanting to buy my guitar for R6300 and said he would EFT me the money as long as I delivered guitar to him at Eastgate mall. He wanted my bank details to do the EFT. I suggested cash at the mall but he said he can only do EFT. I guess that he would have sent me a fake SMS confirming delivery and I would have lost the guitar or worse. Is there anything else he can do with my account information? (I didn’t send it to him) Could he legitimately transferred the money and then recalled it for example?

  15. Keith says:

    …again, he wanted to buy the guitar unseen!

    • Henno Kruger says:

      That is definitely a scammer. Ignore anyone who acts in this manner. Sell your item on your terms.

  16. Brian says:

    Hi there, I just want to know if this websites is a scam as they are asking for a R995.00 payment for their services. they are offering to construct your cv to get a job on an oil rig even if you have no previous experience. Can you please help me

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Brian – This might be a scam. Do an extensive Google Search on the company name. Check if the address that the company says it is actually exists. Check if the e-mail address is legit. If they are e-mailing your from a “@gmail.com”, “@yahoo.com”, or “@live.com” e-mail address chances are that they are not legit. You can create an e-mail address in less than 5 minutes using these services online. If something sounds too good to be true, chances are that it’s a scam.

  17. Monica says:

    This company promised to give me 2 years free technical support for my laptop/software. Scanning and deleting any unwanted errors and pop-ups. The first time when I submitted a complaint, they actually remotely went into my programs and ‘fixed’ it, which they did not.

  18. jacques says:

    I Would Like To Know If E datagroup & The Datahub Are Scams Because I Would Like To Join Them But Are Afraid I`m Gonna Lose The Money I Have To Pay If Someone Can Help Me to Make Sure Please!!!

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Jacques – Thanks for sharing. There is a chance that this may be scams. We have not received reports of this though. You’ll have to utilize Google and do searches for the company’s profile, check if their addresses / e-mail addresses are valid. Also check if their address exists.

      • phil says:

        I have paid the upfront fee for data hub , I will soon have more information regarding them and if they are legit , I have checked out the phisical address too and all seems to be in order , I have talked to them via email and online chat , all in order , I will have more concrete information regarding data hub at 05/08/2013 I will come back and post about my findings

        • Henno Kruger says:

          Thanks Phil 🙂

        • J says:

          so are they a scam??

          • Henno Kruger says:

            Chances are that they might be 🙂

          • J says:

            Will wait on Phil’s response. “Chances are they might be” means nothing..??

          • Khotso says:

            Hey j i have paid the required amount from tissa yesterday,so m waiting for their response within 48 hrs, i am afraid for if they will not reply back to me,but i checked everything about them on google,and they seem to be real,but still afraid lol,their last day is tommorow if they dont reply back,i will text back to make people aware of them..

          • Henno Kruger says:

            Thanks for sharing Khotso

        • Ludi says:

          Hi Phil. What could you find out about datahub? Is it a scam?

        • Lee says:

          Hi Phil
          I recieved all the details via email yesterday, I’m tempted to deposit the money but are not sure if this is a scam. Please let me know what your findings are since August.

          • Conner says:

            Tissa is a scam. you can earn money with tissa, but its like sales..you need things to be sold to actually make money. its a registered company, so its possible to get your money back, but not very likely because of there terms and conditions. my advice is do not join tissa, or datahub.

    • Thimelani says:

      wanted to ask if YOU found anything because l also want to join The DataHub,They need an upfront free 1st before l join

  19. jacques says:

    Thanks I`m Busy Checking Them Out

  20. Meshack Kinqa says:

    Hi there, I just received a call from a company called National Accidents asking if I was involved in car accident I said no she said to me the company will deposit R1400.00 into my account as a reward since I was not involved in accident. The thing that got me pissed off is they know my personal information my I’d number and my account number. I was fuming with anger they said they got that information from database.I asked her telephone number she gave me when I called them the name was Telle Solutions. I knew it was a scam. But where do they got my banking details. Will my bank allow them to debut from my account as they got all the information.

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Meschack – They can’t really do much with your information. The best course of action would be to contact your bank and let them know about this.

      • Could you please check out Cleveland Finance Loan 11 mercedes Rd Aurous Cape town south africa, who is offering loans at #% interest to people in NewZealand.
        They also want to to deposit $550 USDs into their account before they transfer anymoney over to you. Please email me if this is a scam, Cheers Dixie

  21. Jen Graham says:

    Got a letter from Oppennheimer Attorneys signed by Andrew E Hoppennheimer of Johannesburg saying that when searching for relatives of a man who, with his wife and 2 sons was killed in a robbery, my partner’s name came up as his only relative. Quite an official looking letter but says there is $10million US in the account which he is handling. He is prepared to organise this and will go 50/50. I googled him and doesn’t appear to exist. We had a similar letter from a mob in Spain addressed to my partner’s late wife who died 18 years ago. On looking this up it came up as a scam.

  22. alexander says:

    Hi Henno. If I have paid for an item to be delivered and the item is not delivered (sale was on olx), but I have the persons account information (FICA should be able to identify them) cellphone number (RICA should be able to identify them) and names as per I.D (they provided it to me as I said it was required for the instacash transactio) can i go to the police? lawyer? how can I blacklist them?

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Alexander – You should go to the SAPS yes and report them. Also send their cell number / e-mail address through to our Customer Care Department so we can flag them on our system. E-mail them via ccc@junkmail.co.za

  23. Jason says:

    I received this email sent to me by Sars efiling sars@efiling.gov.za via home.pl A payment of R5,269.20 has been made into your account from SARS eFiling

    Please click on the link below to process.

  24. Makamohelo says:

    I will like to know if BizAsist or Prestige Bulletin is a legit Company or not.Got their broche from a business magazine.

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Makamohelo – We have not received any complaints about this company. Your best bet would be to Google them, their address, etc intensively to find out.

  25. Niel Llarina says:

    Hi Henno,

    I was a victim of this guy Adam Cole. I was selling one of my item in sulit.com.ph when this girl message me and and asked to pay my item thru paypal. I requested on her email addres but the payment never went to tru on my account it still pending until now. This girl Julie Migay asked me to dekiver my item to her friends adress in South Africa. I have tried to contact her again and the her friends name Adam Cole who recieved the package. But they are now unreachable. Is there a way to report the adress where i sent my item?

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Niel – You can send us the details to ccc@junkmail.co.za – Also report this to the SAPS so they are aware of it.

    • eds rufino says:

      is she really a scammer? i searched for her name in google and i saw this. we have exactly the same situation. i was also selling an item in sulit.com.ph and she also messaged me that she’s about to buy my item.. here’s the information she gave me

      “there is my friend address
      Receiver Name: Adam Cole
      Address:Flat 102b Petunia 329 Jorissen street
      State: Pretoria
      City:Sunnyside
      Zip code:0002
      Country: South Africa
      Contact number:+27746742732 do get back to me with your paypal email address so that i can make the payment right now okay”

      that was exactly her email.
      and after that i asked her how can i send her my item and how will she pay me and this is what she replied.

      “i only have the money in a safe faster and secured way via PayPal because they also protect both the buyer and seller you can take a good look at paypal website http://www.paypal.com and set up paypal account it easy and free once you have done do get back to me with your paypal email address so that i can make the payment Thank you”

      after reading that i created my paypal account..
      and she replied

      “Good so kindly send me a money request from paypal to juliemigay@yahoo.com with the sum of the total amount i offer you including the shipping together so that i can make the payment right now okay”

      that was her latest message for me. 7/5/13 4:13am..
      and our transaction is still on process, i’m just waiting if she really gonna pay me, i haven’t send the item yet.

      • Henno Kruger says:

        This sounds like scam. Unless you are 100% sure that the funds she transfers is available in your account for your use, don’t send the item

      • Porch says:

        hi I have the exact same customer as you have. juliemigay@yahoo.com.. exact words.. so is she just a scammer.. I have received notifications from paypal that she sent payments. but when i check paypal there’s none. everything is pending. It says in the notification that I need to send the item first and enter the tracking number for me to receive the payment into my bank account

        • Henno Kruger says:

          Don’t send the item unless you are 100% sure that you can use the money they’ve deposited. Paypal is not a very reliable form of payment

      • em says:

        I got the same messages from julie migay as you are, She is really a scammer. I already report this to paypal and they said that they would not ask their customers to ship first the good if payment still pending, it should be paid first. I thank God because He guided me in this situation.

    • Porch says:

      hi neil did you send the package??

  26. Porch says:

    Pls. help us be informed if this juliemigay@yahoo.com is a scammer.. i havent shipped the products yet

  27. maiah constantino says:

    eds rufino, mr henno kruger is correct. i have the same situation to you just yesterday. she is a little bit demanding to me to send the items immediately but i am not stupid as she may think. i said, if you want a better protection between seller and buyer transaction, deposit your payment via bank deposit hahahaha, she did not reply anymore. she is a scam….

  28. Porch says:

    its seems that this julie migay has contacted a lot of people of his/her scam.. how can we inform people to be careful. they also pretend as paypal for the notification of payments..

  29. Mandy Lowe says:

    A person posing as Michael Bell is Scamming people into buying Pekinese puppies.

  30. lizelle says:

    We were looking for a bakkie that we wanted to buy and we came across a advertisement in the junkmail for a white vw caddy bakkie for R21 000 the advert was placed on the 29/7/2013 round 10:00 in the morning . i phoned the person it was a white female, i could hear children in the background. She said she stayed in Montana pretoria, she asked my husband to make a ewallet payment for R1500 as a deposit for keeping the bakkie until we can get to pretoria at 5 o”clock to have a look at the vechicle we stay in Rustenburg. We were afraid of a scam but also desprate for the sale because we have being looking for weeks for a bakkie for that price and everything is sold by the time we phoned. We manage to convince her that we will pay R500 by e wallet and then give her R1000 more for the bakkie if we should decide to take it. she said it was fine and we ewallet the R500 to her. she gave us an adress 28 waterbessie street montana pretoria. we went there but there was no one at that address the person staying there was a black lady and she had no idea of a bakkie that was for sale. i do believe this person has scammed more people than just me. i only have her tel nr if i phone it keeps on ringing. she seems to struggle to understand and speak on the phone so we struggled to get her name. we knew this was a gamble we took , but as i say we were desperate and was hoping that it was not a scam. the contact nr we have is : 0721838239

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Thanks for sharing this info Lizelle, we will be investigating this further. Our Customer Care department will e-mail you shortly.

  31. I received an email that this organisation can offer financial assistance if you have been blacklisted. I don’t see any physical address or landline numbers and have search on the internet without finding any further information. How else can I establish if this is a legitimate organisaton?

  32. Christopher Jayes says:

    Hi there, did some research on “TISSA” (The Income Solution SA CC) or “Data Hub” and although it’s not an outright scam, it’s not right. Please see this following court ruling regarding their advertising and methods: http://www.asasa.org.za/ResultDetail.aspx?Ruling=6500.
    The Court ruled, in essence, that the “R40 earned per form” is not a true reflecting of the company’s intention or methods. It probably is possible to make money through them but who would want to do business with a company that gives false information?
    Anyway, please don’t go for this it’s not a good idea.

  33. Jacob says:

    I got an email recently from yahoo & msn windows live promotion center department of south Africa saying that I won a certain amount of money. Although I’d love to believe that this is real, is it? They want me to email someone with my name, marital status, sex, contact address, country, occupation and date of birth. It has a signature with a name of Mrs Rita Johannes “approved”. Please let me know.

  34. Sharon says:

    I would like to know if jobsforsa is a scam?

  35. terry says:

    I would like to know about Tissa.co.za / my@homeCareer is a scam

    • Henno Kruger says:

      We have not received any reports about them, but tread lightly just in case. Remember: Google is your friend 🙂

    • Nadine says:

      Hi guys.

      I had to validate it for myself, as it did seem genuine. Be careful of all of the following:

      TISSA (The income solution SA)
      MyCareers@Home
      JobsForSA
      The Datahub and any advertisement advertising something as easy as earning money from home with just “copying and pasting”.

      By “copy and paste” they mean you have to advertise and get more people to fall for the scam like you did.

      So you can make money – if you are willing to steal from those already desperate and continue the vicious cycle.

  36. TT says:

    Hi i fell victim to a scam for a loan. The guy promised he could arrange a loan but i had to pay an upfront fee, i was desperate and did this. He guaranteed that should i not receive the loan i will get a refund within 24 hours, it has now been 9 weeks and i am still waiting.I have done some research and see he advertises on all sites promising loans, payday loans, cars etc. i have checked on hellopeter and there is quite a few reports on there as well.

  37. Farida says:

    There is a scammer calling himself silver who supposedly sells farm fresh eggs at very good prices. Seeing the value in his advertised prices you are allowed to place an order and he will deliver within 6 hours once the deposit is received. Dont pay the deposit cause once you do , you never get your order and he disappears into thin air. He is supposedly from Bloemfontein and uses a Capitec Bank Account. BEWARE THIS S A SCAM

  38. Lome says:

    hi. Wil graag weet – het n advertensie vir n kamera gesien van “Reliable gadgets and computers ltd..” in PE.. Weet jy of hulle “legit” is?? Dankie

    • Henno Kruger says:

      Hi Lome – Watter telefoon nommer / e-pos adres gebruik hulle om te adverteer? Stuur asb vir ons details deur. Kontak ons klientediens afdeling via ccc@junkmail.co.za

      • Hylton says:

        any news about reliable computers & gadgets? the address is 17 rink road in PE but i dont know if they are legit. really want to buy a TV there but dont want to loose money. thanx

  39. Antoinette says:

    My son entered your black label competition yesterday and received the following sms yesterday – Congrat your cell phone number have won you the sum of R200.000 in black label Beer promo with serial number(JJSA), For claim call,
    0785491004 Drink responsibl. This was sent from +27721517511. When we phoned we were told if he wants the money paid into his bank account or cheque. My son said cheque whereby his airtime ran out. I phoned back and was told that they have to register my son and for that he need to buy R180 x2 MTN airtime. I immediately told her if you won a competition there is no need to buy airtime and that I am going to report them. The lady was very confident and said I can phone her from SAPS – her NAme is Ayanda Dwanes – and they reside at 32 Commissioner street Pretoria.

  40. Ann says:

    Hi Henno, can you please help want to know about Hank Aaron Loans and Prober Security Group, they offer loans but we first have to pay R4000.00

    • Henno Kruger says:

      We have not had any complaints about them, but it sounds like a scam. Don’t pay someone who is asking you to pay money before you get a loan from them

  41. Keegan says:

    Hi guys Is IBMIT a scam their ad is says as follows .CASHIERS, BOOK KEEPERS, ACCOUNT CLERKS,BANK CLERKS, BANK TELLERS,FINANCE OFFICERS WANTED CANDIDATES PLEASSE DELIVER UR CV TO OUR OFFICES 356 SMITH STREET DENOR HOUSE 10TH FLOOR OFFICE 1001 OR CALL 0318265508,0318293608,0318375480 FOR IMMEDIATE INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT

  42. Annelize says:

    Please post these scam numbers on one of these sites for others to find…

    http://whocallsme.com
    http://www.whycall.me
    http://800notes.com

  43. Johann says:

    can you please tell me where to report this website? http://www.gttoils.co.za.
    they are scamming people out of thousands of rands, and almost caught me. the address, tel no’s is fake.and if you get hold of them, they apparently moved to another city and province.

  44. lesego says:

    Is nationwide loans a scam? They sent me an sms about a loan. And it said successful immediately after I applied.

  45. ubank says:

    Bank related scams are so common in South Africa and people do not seem to learn.The latest common trick the fraudsters are using is using the same number your bank uses to send you sms confirmation on your transactions.Consumers just need to be extra alert out there.

  46. Chris says:

    Hi there Henno,

    I would like to know if you have had any bad reviews about anabolicstore.co.za as I would like to purchase some products from their website. This is a sensitive subject as some people classify this as “drugs”. It seems quite easy to purchase it and therefore seems too good to be true. Any assistance would be appreciated.

    Thanks

  47. Andreas says:

    Guys Please be warned, this is yet another case of paying for goods, and then billed for customs holding onto your goods. I believe I have been scammed out of R4700. And then billed another R1520 for customs??
    Please advise if anyone has any info on this site.http://www.soundworldsa.info/

    • Dan says:

      Yeah sorry but, its a scam for sure. I lost R4700 myself a few months ago from them. I have reported Yosef to the police. You should do the same if you haven’t already. i’m in the process of trying to shut down their website 🙂 Cut your losses, learn your lesson & forget about the whole thing.

  48. Koos Jacobs says:

    Hi I responded to an ad placed Friday 6 December 2013. The ad was placed at about 10 o clock, reading something like this, 7ft Venter trailer with a nosecone, included;rooftop tent, fridge,2 stretchers,gasbottle, 5l urn, stove and gazebo for R 6500,00. I phoned the number 0823469691, the guy a so called Anton Beukes said to me the trailer is available but the people are phoning him like mad, I must deposit R3250 in a Spar to Spar supermarket money transfer account, this will secure the deal. After Ive deposited the money he confirmed the deal. When I phoned to collect the trailer I was laughed at, they cursed at me and cut the call. Then he had the audacity to phone me back asked me what I wanted and said he knows nothing about a trailer. He gave me an address of Burchplace 7 Moreletta park. Please warn other buyers!

  49. Curious says:

    Hello Chris you wanted to know about anabolicstore.co.za did you manage to find out if they are ligit? Heno any response?

  50. Willy says:

    Hi i feel for a scam on 30 December 2013, there was this guys on olx selling RunX for R30000.00 they called themselves Global Motors, i had a pre authorised from Wesbank i sent them the code

    When i called the bank they confirmed that the dealer(Global motors) are busy with the deal, thats when i thot they are legitimate. When i enquire with them they told they are busy processing the document with Wesbank but i have to deposit money to them to reserve the car. i deposited them R1500.00 and we agreed that i will drive to gauteng on the 2 January to collect the car. i drove to Randburg in the morning and i was suprised as the adress they gave me didnt exists, and i called them to come n collect me to see the car and they told me they cannot allow me to see the car because the deposit i made was little, so i must deposit R3500 again to make it R5000. thats when i told them that i cannot make any deposit and they told me they will cancell our deal and will refund me de money even today when i call them they promise to deposit back but they never deposited back my money, i have their land line number is 011 053 9713

  51. marius says:

    Vacation hub international tried to scam me into a monthly payment of R761.00 pm after they assured me of no monthly payment. Luckily i cancelled the deal within the cooling-off period and got 90% of my deposit back. I believe there are many people out there who was also caught by them. Pls investigate them

  52. Tiaan says:

    Hi Chris, I don’t think anabolicstore.co.za is a scam, I saw an ad for this site in more than one magazine I bought recently

  53. warda says:

    Hey there Henno
    I too also saw the ad in the newspaper and was wondering if it is ligetamitted or a scam. Plz reply would like too join

  54. warda says:

    Sorry i replied on the ad and thy send me the sms today saying that they cant send the documents to my phisical address so i need to know because i already send them my email address.

  55. kerri minnie says:

    Hi i would like to find out about the company called tissa i think they are legit but am not sure and want to start working for them if anyone can tell me if they are or not hopefully they are coz they are using our governments emblem to advertise.

  56. Chantelle says:

    Wow…. after reading all this, I dub this land South Afriscam :/ You can’t trust ANYONE these days

  57. tom says:

    Email Scam: Bad Lady

    Attention: xxxxxxxxxx
    First, let me introduce myself once more. I am Barrister Ms. Farida Binti Mohammad, I am a single mother, aged 45. I am advocate in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

    I got your contact in a research Company, Chamber of Commerce the last time I went to China for research of someone bearing the same last name with my late client, so I decided to give you a trial. And I must let you know that this transaction is 100% risk free now till everything is completed by your name, though is not by force to work on a transaction like this because we are going to benefit mutually from this transaction.

    As I told you in my proposal mail, I choose you because of your last name, which is exactly the same as my late client’s name, which is similar to that of my late client. Is not that you are his relative; I only want to present you based on your last name. My client died in 2012 at the age of 44 and since then all the efforts of the Bank to locate his beneficiary failed, this is the reason they contacted me to trace his origin.

    The fund will be transferred to your account by the holding bank here after a successful claim has been made. There is no risk to this transaction as we will process all the required documents by law for a beneficiary claim. There are no other living relative, actually my client was born by two migrant workers that came to Malaysia in 50’s.

    In this transaction we will go step by step, first with the legal documents to back up the claim and secondly, the monetary documents for the transfer. As I also made you to understand in my first mail, the bank asked me to contact his beneficiary/ his next of kin, as his Lawyer he did not leave any beneficiary name or next of kin with me, facing the situation, I decided to search for a good person of trust and one who bears the same last name as my late client, that will suite as his/her next of kin/bona fide beneficiary. For the legal ramifications, be rest assured on that.

    This is my operational field, for I do know all the loop holes involved and will handle them with great professionalism. I will provide all the necessary legal documents that will back you up as the bona fide beneficiary of my late client, all I need from you is to cooperate with me and be honest in our agreement, if 55%/45%. 55 for me and 45 for you, Is OK by you.

    I will send you a beneficiary affidavit form from the High Court, which you will fill and resend to me, for me to swear under oath in High Court of Malaysia that you are truly the bona fide beneficiary of my late client and from here we will commence. Feel free to ask any question you want to ask for better understanding of the transaction.

    If I can count on your honesty, cooperation and confidence, reply positively for me to start the paper work. It is situated here in Malaysia. Honesty and Confidentiality of this transaction is very important.

    Note: Here is my private mobile number (00601139055673) you can reach me at any time of the day, except when I have a case to defend in Court. I wait for your urgent response.

    Best Regards
    Bar. Farida Binti Mohammad
    Noorazmir, Khadijah & Associates.

  58. Jacob says:

    Work Angola ” Watch out ,promise you work and Police Clearance for R150 and then they dissapear and you never here from them again.email:amcoexpatrecruiters@gmail.com Johan van Wyk and Suzette Pirez

  59. Quintin says:

    Hi julle

    Ek wil net terugvoer gee oor Tissa oftewel Datahub. Kyk ek sal nooit vir so iets gaan nie maar uit nood het ek. Ek het eers gaan navorings doen op die web veral by scam alerts en hellopeter. Die ding wat my oortuig het as jy dit so kan stel,was dat ek hulle registrasie no by dep van trade en industry na gegaan het en gevind dat hul wel geregistreer is.maar dit is hier wat jy al gescam word. Hulle gebruik die wetige registrasie van die scam as bewys dat hulle legit is. Moet asb nie vir hulle leuens val nie. Meeste van die free classified sites waar hulle (datahub) wil he jy moet hulle ads copy en paste,waarsku dat hulle jou sal vervolg en jou besonderhede vir google sal aanstuur vir verdere aksie. Laastens hulle vra n once off fooi van R450 vir registrasie.

  60. Suzette says:

    Want to buy a staffie puppy from olx, from Stephen Alan. Said the puppy is R1500 and KUSA registered. Now he wants R500 extra for cargo from Upington. Gave me his adres: 15 Rand street if I want to pick up myself or I must pay money into his drivers account, MC Kubheka. Is there any way to secure my payment of 50% untill delivery? or is this a scam?

    • Hi Suzette. Please click on the link to see what Junk Mail suggests to avoid scams.

      • Suzette says:

        Thanks Saskia, did do some re surge on how to avoid scams, still hoping that these people could be sincere. And did find his name as a scammer on the net. Also realized that one of the photo’s was of a puppy in autumn. Really? This time of the year?
        Such a pity that only rich people can buy pedigreed pets and the rest must be scammed. Luckily did not fall for this one…

  61. Martin says:

    Hi guys…
    I have been scammed aftr I posted an ad of my ipad at gumtree.the scammer called me same time and asked to make a transaction.i gave him my Acc and then I received an SMS as a proof of payment.he then sent someone to come collect the ipad,we meet at the shell garage where I hope they have cctvs.What can I do from here ,pls help?i have the car registration number and their cell number.

    • Hi Martin. We are very sorry to hear you’ve been scammed. Please send our Customer Care Department an e-mail (ccc@junkmail.co.za). They will be able to assist you with steps.

  62. KT says:

    I have paid tens of thousands, to a supposed brick supplier Gerhard Roets.
    The materials were not delivered and he will not refund the money. He fronts a company called Gauteng Brick Yard and seems to use it to defraud people of money. This scam artist needs to be stopped!

  63. franchesca says:

    A company called hm cardealers sent me an e-mail claiming that they can finance a car even if you are blacklisted. So I checked and discovered that they are running a scam. They even have a company registration number that looks like the real makoy. Beware I think its one of those nigerian scams.

  64. franchesca says:

    I even have cellphone numbers, fax numbers and so-called addresses 061 115 5116. They claim to be situated in free state, prinsloo street, under the oak centre.

  65. albert says:

    Hi

    I read about a job available where filling in data through the use of an computer and the internet through instructions is required. An Henry Smith froom sa job solutions and stating a pay of over over R4500 for just 2-5hours work a day.

    Is this a scam?

    Good day,

     

    Thank you for your application and you are successfully qualified for the job. Please read the below carefully and only reply if you are truly interested.

    The following is more info regarding the Administrator opportunity you have expressed interest in:

    As an Administrator, the following will be expected from you:

    1.         Access to a computer (whether it is your computer at home or the computer at work during quiet times or even the Internet café is of no importance – as long as you have one)

    2.         Constant Internet Access – you will be working online

    3.         A valid E-mail account

    4.         A bank account (in order for you to receive payment)

    5.         You must also be able to conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times. You have to be a people person. This includes having excellent grammar and spelling when communicating with clients via E-mail

    6.         In addition to the above requirements, you must be able to follow instructions closely and completely

    All contact will be via E-mail – you will not be required to call anyone at any time. The point behind the virtual industry is to cut down on office overheads after all (This allows you to work whichever hours are most convenient for you (days, nights, or weekends).

    You will need a word processing program in order to perform some tasks successfully (Microsoft Word, Works, Open Office etc.) Once you have received the training materials, you can start working from home today, or where ever you choose to conduct business. Whether you are employed or unemployed you can still apply for this. You can do it part time in the evenings or over weekends or full time.

    Duties – You will be processing Email applications, as well as filling out forms in specific company databases (this tends to be tedious at times, so please be sure that you have the patience to do so before proceeding). This is why you will need to have basic Internet knowledge, though the training provided will give you step-by-step instructions on how to perform these tasks properly. You will NOT be cold calling or selling products.

    There are no down-times with this opportunity, so you will have a constant flow of work to complete. However, you are able to take on as much or as little work as you wish.

    The amount of money you make each week is entirely up to you, and how much time and effort you are willing to put in with this opportunity. The average person makes    R 4500 – R 5500 per week, for approx 2-5 hours spent online per day. I cannot stress this enough – No one can force you to work so we cannot estimate or guarantee what you will earn. This is an exciting opportunity for you.

    The constant influx of work is overwhelming. Once an applicant has registered, they are considered an Independent Processing Operator. You will be given the tools in order to function independently.

    Income – You will receive your pay through EFT’S or direct deposit. When an application is completed successfully, R580.00 will be paid to you on the same day. An application is not complete until you have received payment in other words. One application takes an average of one hour to complete. Please do not wait for a paycheck at the end of the month – this is not going to happen. You will be paid per application when and if it is completed. The money trickles into your account all throughout the month.

    Training – We require a fee of R500.00 for our training. For two reasons:

    (a)   It safeguards us from those applicants who really just want to waste our time by allowing us to set them up, train them and then they conveniently don’t do any work.

    (b)   It covers our admin costs and registration fees. It is non- refundable. This line of work is not for everyone, please think carefully before you proceed with your application, we would hate for you to feel out of pocket or done in.

    Upon completion of your registration and receipt of payment, your profile is forwarded to the training department where they begin the setup process with you.

    Keep in mind that the sooner you go through the training materials, the sooner you will start earning money. It takes the average applicant a day or so to work through the training manual after which they can start working immediately. I can be contacted via E-mail at any time after you have received your training materials to help you, or answer any questions you may have.

    If you consider yourself an appropriate candidate meet all the requirements, and are responsible enough to work independently, then please contact me via E-mail and I will send you the relevant registration form so you may get started. Please do not ask for registration forms if you are not really interested.

    Sincerely,

    Henry Smith

    s.a.jobs.solution@gmail.com

    • Hi Albert.

      I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. However, this is most probably a scam, besides work from home positions like these are pyramid schemes which are illegal in South Africa. Please take care not to be swindled!

      The Junk Mail Team 🙂

  66. Rina says:

    Hi mense wil net weet wie het al sukses behaal met Tissa/datahub? Ek het n username,password maar kom nie reg nie

  67. injury law says:

    After I originally commented I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on whenever a comment is added I receive four emails with the same comment. Is there an easy method you are able to remove me from that service? Cheers!

  68. Maryke says:

    Hi there. Is there any work from home jobs that are NOT scams.

  69. Andre says:

    I just want to know, if anabolicstore.co.za is a scam ? Or if they are real ?

  70. valerie says:

    there was a man on my facebook for 3 years before he talk to me when he did I notice that he only had single women as friends at that time he went by the name of John St John then he changed it to Tom Ricketts he went by the name of John Rocket he says he’s in China but he wants everything sent to Pretoria SA. he said it was for his son and his sister I knew right away this was not legitimate. he is trying to get money out of me and for the last another 3 years we’ve been talking and I have not given him any money and yet he continues to tell me that I don’t care about him which I do but I’m not going to give him any money I won’t it’s just him anyway I know this is a scam and he needs to be identified. during that time that I’ve known him he has switched his facebook accounts to different names different emails McKernan email is Tom wreck it at yahoo.com previously it was John St John 717 at yahoo.com. he says that he was in China and he was in a construction job and he wants to get millions of dollars for the completion of this project is completed it they the China government because that’s who is working for his son had sent him the check and he could only have it have the money in the United States and I needed to get him to the United States he also need any money to get the blood tests and all the other required things to get to the United States and I needed that was suspicious because he would be able to have his money if indeed they did pay him especially in a different country no matter what bank a person can bank at. he uses gilt and it’s never his fault he’s never wrong. there are three names with the same address that he wanted me to send money to I would like for you to look into this and see if you ever heard of them or if you could tell me anything about this individual and it’s only for other women so I can post this to the people that he has on his facebook currently.
    Olomiyi ibukunmide charles.
    Liadi temitope ibrahim
    Oshikoya oluwasegun matthew
    Address is
    308 Schoman sreet
    Pretoria
    Sunnyside
    SA 0002
    His phone number is
    011 27 74 800 2839

    Thank you

  71. cythia says:

    is datahub a scam or not

  72. Carol says:

    For those enquiring, Tissa – Datahub is a scam. Before registering and paying R440 for doing ‘cut and paste’, I made enquiries with them. The pre-sales service received was outstanding. However, once I had made the payment and Tissa had given me the steps to the high earnings potential, I was on my own. The staff at Tissa actually got irritated with my questions and emails whilst being new and trying to master the copy and paste system. I eventually worked out what I needed to do through their 5 easy steps and posted 570 advertisements (of which each were confirmed with a reference number) over a period of nearly 3 weeks. Tissa guarantees an income of R1500 within 14 days or your money back. I had followed the easy steps and their advice and earned NOTHING. I am now R440 and R270 (data bundles)out of pocket. Not to mention the time spent. I had hoped to make this a career as I am unemployed. I put in a valid effort with such enthusiasm, determined to make my new career work. Being so disappointed at not earning a cent, I requested a refund. Tissa refused. I believe this is how Tissa make their money. They have created something that doesn’t work, take your money and when you request a refund, the only guarantee is that they WILL find an excuse not to refund it. The marvellous testimonies of success you read on Facebook and everywhere else, are either fictitious or ‘connections’ of the Tissa staff. I am extremely disappointed and angry with myself. Guys, be careful! Tissa are set up as a legitimate organisation – registration no, landline numbers, physical address, co.za email addresses, 10 years established – all the right paperwork and moves are in place but they are thieves. Don’t get caught like I did. We reap what we sow and I believe that they will be forced to close down eventually. It’s just a matter of time.

    • Hi Carol,

      We are very sorry to hear you have been scammed, but would like to thank you for taking the time to warn the other Junk Mail Users in this regard.

      The Junk Mail Online Team

  73. nthabi says:

    I woukd love to know if tissa is a scam or not. Please reply to my email, khanya.candy@gmail.com
    Thank you.

  74. zyn says:

    Hi

    I’m also a victim of “earn money from working at your home”. It seem this working from home is a scam, please just send me an email on lesshns@gmail.com if you know any legitimate company that offering jobs like that, or any job like receptionist, administration assistant & any other jib related to this. I’m not working and having 2kids I have to support. I have matric & staying in pretoria. I’m available immediately as long if its not a scam. Thank you

    • Hi Zyn,

      I am sorry to hear you’ve been scammed. Please note that all work-from-home-type jobs (online) are illegal in South Africa. You can rather try to become a distributor for various well-known companies.

  75. Aboubaker says:

    Hi,
    I’m suspecting the below company as a scammer, it’s from South Africa.
    Would you please confirm.

    Thanks alot

    A&K Chemicals
    A and K Chemicals Pty Ltd 11 BELMOUNT ESTATE BELLAIRS DRIVE NORTHRIDING 2162 JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AGRICA
    CELL: +27 835 537 921
    FAX : +27 86 607 9623
    JOHN ADAMS(Sales Manager)
    EMAIL: sales@aandkchemicals.co.za
    EMAIL: aandkchemicals@hotmail.co.za
    EMAIL : aandkchemicals@hotmail.com
    WEBSITE: http://www.aandkchemicals.co.za
    SKYPE: Johnadams027

    Domain Name: aandkchemicals.co.za
    Registrant: mailto: augustineandazu@gmail.com
    Tel: +27.0840112229
    Registrar: JCW Hosting
    Relevant Dates:
    Registration Date: 2013-11-07
    Renewal Date: 2014-11-07

  76. Khutjo says:

    Please help, can this here be a scam?
    C
    CHeckers
    to me
    11 hours agoDetails
    Why is this message in Spam? It’s similar to messages that were detected by our spam filters.
    Always show images from
    CHeckers
    Hello ,

    I just wanted to make sure that you have seen this. The offer expires soon!!
    Take your chance now!

    Kind Regards,

    Stephanie – customer service team – SA REWARDS TEAM

    —–Original Message—–
    From: stephanie@customerservice.co.sa
    Sent: Wednesday, 25th of April 2015, 14:06
    Subject: Important Message

    On 19/04/2015 we informed you that we had a R2,000 CHECKERS gift card available that we could send to you.

    We have still not received your application for a chance to receive the gift card. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are interested.

    Here is your exclusive application link:
    Just click here and answer 3 quick questions to qualify.

    Your advantages:
    – Gift card can be used for purchases in any of CHECKERSs 170 stores across the sa
    – Immediate, easy, non-binding application
    – 100% complimentary

    Here is the application link for the R2,000 CHECKERS gift card again:
    Click here for your chance.

    Best Regards,

    Your customer service team – SA REWARDS

    Flex Media – PO Box 112 – 1800 Marikina City – Philippines

    • Hi Khutjo,

      While I can’t say for certain, I doubt Checkers will make use of a marketing company with a postal address in the Phillipines! The fact that they are not phoning you also indicates this might be a scam.

  77. Game Online says:

    Thank you! for this article it saved me allot!

  78. Adel vd Meyden says:

    I was phoned by a company saying they want to update my telephone directory. They sent me a form which I filled in and stupidly didnt read the small print. I thought it was for the normal phone book. they then sent me an account for R 2295. I let them know that they didnt identify themselves as African Advertising and nowhere does it say that it is for an internet directory. They have sent me a letter saying that if I dont pay in 5 days I willed be handed over. can you please help me, if the contract doesnt say specifically that the directory is on the internet.

  79. Sallie says:

    I want to find out about Loan Finder.They rejected my loan but withdrew R395 from my bank account at the end of the month.Is that legal?

  80. Scam Fighter says:

    I found the a similar ad and the scammer tried the exact same scam, almost word for word as the women from Randfontein. Great deal but i always do a scam search and found this article and several others that confirmed my suspicions on the initial they sent. So I decided to have some fun 🙂 There are so many holes in their communication. I decided to make them an offer that played on their greed and made me look eager and trusting of their offer. They sent me their banking details after i convinced them that eBay will charge them too much and i can deposit the money directly to them from a my rich uncles account in the UK. They also agreed to sent me money to cover the cost. I had them sent me a copy of the title and the drivers licence from the registered owner as my uncle wanted it and they did but it is so fake you wouldn’t believe it. The bank account is fake to0 but i have shared the mails with the police and the other agencies http://cybercrime.org.za/reporting. Now I’m waiting for them to send me a wood sculpture of Zuma as “my uncle is a collector” ***** DON’T SEND INFORMATION OF YOURSELF OR MONEY BEFORE YOU VERIFY THE OTHER PERSON THROUGH OUR OWN CHANNELS AND NOT THEIR SUGGESTIONS. DO A SCAM SEARCH ON GOOGLE AS A FIRST STEP. REPORT ALL SCAMS TO THE SITE AND TO THE AUTHORITIES*****

  81. annelize meyer says:

    Hi guys.i advertised my camera on gumtree.a lady from nigeria contacted me and i recieved an email from citibank confirming her payment to my ABSA account but money will only be released after i send proof of the shipping bill to them.is this a scam?please help

  82. susan says:

    Hi Can anyone please let me know if anabolicstore.co.za is legit? I purchased some products from them but i have not received them

  83. Michael says:

    My name is michael I just want to find out if this is a scam the south africa incoming solution copy and paste

  84. Usama Moola says:

    Hi . I would like to know if anybody has any idea if rank personnel is really legit or is it a scam ? They offer training courses and guarantee job placements afterwards . However , you have to pay fees and I am not sure what to think because their website seems legit and they are apparently linked with IBM. Please assist

  85. Hey administrator, I just wanted to give you a quick heads up that your Web link: http://www.junkmail.co.za/blog/the-top-10-scam-types-in-south-africa/6897 is being flagged as a possibly harmful blog in my browser ie.
    I’d highly recommend having somebody look into it. You can easily lose a lot of readers due to this kind of issue.

    Best of Luck.

  86. rhino says:

    stay away from this site,zapowersolutions.co.za , the genuine website is http://www.sa-powersolutions.com. they scammed more than R18000 from me, not legit at all. i ignored a few warning signs like stupid spelling mistakes, they also use a fake shipping company freighmoverservices.com, very cheap, but sadly they do not exist. if its too good to be true, you know the rest. i cant believe i was so dumb

  87. Kelz says:

    Hi there, I have been receiving calls from a company claiming they are from Blake collections agency. They told me I owe R2600 on my cheque account and would like me to make payment arrangements. They wanted to confirm my personal details. I went into the bank, and the bank confirmed I did not owe them any money. Be careful of fake debt collectors!

  88. Thank you for your blog article.Really looking forward to read more. Much obliged.

  89. maxwell says:

    evening Wesley. . .I received a notification from this email address ” personal.lending@standardbank” but which was delivered by post & what I did was to try and respond to them & to my notice. . .discovered a few errors like my postal code they have a wrong one but then about 90 percent of the details are correct, so on the responding part of it , turns out their email don’t exist . . .could they have tried to scam or basically its a scam. . .

  90. Nothando says:

    Hi guys im in such financial strain as i was scammed 200K by a so called investment company name Final income. they have not paid me even half of what i invested and have requested that i pay 500 rand for each 10k i would like to withdraw from by investments. Only joined them because of a friend of mine that was got paid on the 1st months of 2015 and now i doubt if i will ever get my money back. I have the FNB bank account that i deposited my so called investment to them i dont know if the bank can do anything to recover my money back from them…im so frustrated

    • Hi Nothando, sorry to hear about this. If your ordeal was related to buying or selling on Classifieds like Junk Mail, please send further details to scam@junkmail.co.za. Have a nice day! 🙂

    • zandile says:

      Hi Nothando, did you get your money back? I also joined them but I’m scared to pay the withdrawal fee, did they give you your money back?

      • nothando says:

        they have now emailed us the new bank details below to deposit the withdrawal fee to so we can sit and hope we will get our money back from them ..Im sure whoever opened this new bank account for deposits knows were the rest of this scammers are…It’s another way of milking money from us the so called investors since no one is budging to invest with them anymore
        Bank name: FNB
        Account number: 6260 9277 745
        Account Business name: Tlokoeng solutions
        Account type: business

  91. Julius says:

    Good day Henno. I have a question on the company called Tissa (My@Home Career). Is this company for real and did you have any complaints on their add. Is this company Legit and can one really make money from their offerings?

    • Hi Julius, these “work-from-home” companies are normally scams, so our advice would be to be careful. You can do some research online to see what other people are saying about this particular company… 🙂

  92. Elzabie says:

    I was scammed this morning by a guy who calls himself Anthony who is selling a 2014 Venter Trailer with a canopy tent, in the George region.
    Long story short, he promised to email me the change of ownership papers and to keep the trailer for me if I pay him a deposit, which I did (yes I am ashamed that I fell for it) however this is to warn everybody not to deal with Anthony – he used a mobile number 0723351950. FNB blocked this number and he will not be able to use it for further transactions.

  93. garreth says:

    This scammers targets us vulnarable people,I’ve learned something from this posts.thank you

  94. Hi, my name is Gugulethu. there are people who are selling cars which are not theirs. One of the guys calls himself Thomas Ngobeni tel no 062 610 0646. These guys they say the cars are in Polokwane, Tzanin, or North West. When you say you want to come and see the car or fetch it yourself, they don’t allow you, they say you must deposit petrol money at Spar or Pick n pay so that they bring the car to you. All these cars are registered GP, but they claim they have been having the car fore so many years. Please investigate this.

  95. garreth says:

    My name is Garreth, someone by the name of Bernard is conning people promising them job in mining industry ( Kuruman) & you’ve to deposit 1,5k in his Capitec acc : B C Modise 1359015491 after few days he’ll contact you again demanding more telling u that he’s busy with a medical report that you’ve passed the tests & he’ll promise you top position .He’s very convincing were by you’ll fall for everything is saying.

  96. scammed says:

    This guy advertises that he can get you financing even if your blacklisted. He then demands a upfront fee to be paid into his personal account. When you refuse he starts swearing you and harasses you as you have given him your personal contact details. When i phoned No finance cars boksburg this guy does not even work for them they used to use him as a spotter. they would then pay him commission on every successful sale they made. They no longer use him due to the fact that he bullies you for money before hand. He has been harrasing me over email and whatsapp for 4 days now.

    chris vd berg
    0780650264
    Claims he works for nofinance cars boksburg but doesnt

  97. Vera says:

    Hi People, i am trying to find out if the following company is also a scam, City Finances in Cape town , I have applied online for a line and have not yet received any feedback… I am worried as my id number was also required in the form. I have not paid any upfront money or anything like that. I have tried their contact number but kept on getting number not available.

  98. My name is Gugu.I was also scammed by final income last year.I paid 5000 n i also paid 1500 for withdrawal fee n I never got a cent back.They use FNB acc no 62537467103 branch code 250655 n swift code FIRNZAJJ n ref no:331011 pls help me

    • Hi Gugulethu,

      We are very sorry to hear you’ve been scammed out of your money!

      The first thing you need to do is open a case with your local South African Police Service station. Please then forward us the case number and all details you have of the advertiser so that we can collaborate with the SAPS in this matter.

      You can send any details to socialmedia@junkmail.co.za.

      Thank you in advance!

  99. Michael says:

    Hi Junkmail. Can you please tell me about this two companies wether they are legit or scammers.

    – Tissa Solutions / Survey 365

    – Nimrose Projects

  100. Riccardo says:

    Hi,

    I would like to find out if online wealth is legit and it works as claimed on their site.
    Thanks

    • Hi Riccardo,

      We are not at liberty to say if they are legit or not. Try Googling all their information to be able to make an informed decision.

      Please be very careful!

  101. Lungi says:

    Hi everyone today my older brother is scammed by a guy who promised him apermanent job he applied for at Isibaya mining he got the post in a junk mail paper so he tot it was real this guy is demanding R2500 by end of today he even told him that he must deposit the money to his account.please guys be aware

    • Hi Lungi,

      I am so sorry to hear your brother was scammed. Please send us all details of the advert, advertiser and anything else you might have to scam@junkmail.co.za.

      Please remind your brother that legitimate employment opportunites won’t cost him money.

      Stay safe!

  102. TMAN says:

    Guys i invested 51k with final income with hope of getting better returns. But When the payment dates approach im told that my withdrawal amount is clearing. Im promised that i will get paid on thursday, 5 thursdays have come and gone. I think they use psychology 101 to scam people through hope of receiving more cash. their accounts should just be closed its a PONZI SCHEME. The reserve bank and consumer commission should close their accounts period and online existence in south africa.

  103. ruwayda says:

    Good day I applied for a loan online and it was approved but they asking for registered fees how do I knw if its legit or not please some advise

    • Hi Ruwayda,

      Google the company name with which you applied for the loan and see if there are any complaints about their services.

      • Andre says:

        You can google them and find it is a good company as they use legitimate companies letterheads but fake phone numbers and e-mail addresses. I get a lot from Wonga Loans (scam and spam), but not from the real company (who ignored warnings from me that scammer use their details). Not a very good answer.

  104. Keasha says:

    Hi has anyone heard of a cash loan named M J R Cadh Loans are they legit? I have googled them but there seems to be no complains

  105. Andile says:

    I got a sms from this company Goldwealth financial services ltd the promising good things,are they legit isn’t a scam. Please help

  106. I have been scammed by a guy named Happy Leqele who claims to be related to popular Dj Ben Dikobe, well I found out that they are indeed but he scammed his family aswel. He ran with my money and furniture and I’m still in search of him. I want to find out if there’s a way I can get his name out there to warn other females from trusting this guy as you cannit find him on any search engine or social media. Plus I opened a case against him and found out that he had pending cases.

  107. Hi Johan, can you please send us more information regarding the specific ad you are referring to, to customercare@junkmail.co.za and we’ll investigate further. Ad ID, contact number etc. Thanks

  108. Hi Johan, we will respond to you as soon as possible. Thanks

  109. jan van der berg says:

    I received an email from eric marius at email ericmore100@yahoo.com who wants to give me 5million rand. This doesnt sound possible. What do you think

  110. Margaret says:

    I googled Point of lay chickens on junk mail and an advert by Fourie uni poultry came up. It was a scam. I do not know the man’s name but I have his contact numbers and those of his counterparts.

  111. Hi…does anyone know of a westcon cashloans?

  112. katula says:

    SEO SPECIALIST Elwyn Dhliwayo is a SCAMMER BE AWARE
    Elywn for www seospecialist co za is a big scam ,I gave him a job one year ago for R3500 he never did my website until today 2017 .He doesn’t even what to refund me so be aware of him . We met at McDonald’s and he doesnt want to give a refund he wont answer my calls

    • Thank you for taking the time to send us a message.

      If you don’t mind, please share some additional details; did he advertise his services on Junk Mail? If yes, please send us his direct contact details.

      If not, thank you for warning the public!

  113. Charlene says:

    Current scam running on Junk Mail – Dr De Villiers – 074 2354992
    ID66941536 / AD TYPE: Private / Add Placed – 22 June 2017
    this guys placed a house on Junk Mail for rent – R4600.00 in Athlone Cape Town. he advise people to pay a deposit in order to get the ADT keys for the alarm. He is apparently a doctor and will meet up with you in Athlone / Gatesville. Once deposit is paid he don’t answer your calls or pitches. he also apparently drives a red BMW with a Western Province Number plate. please be aware

    • Thank you for taking the time to send us a message.

      Please note this advertiser will not be able to place any more adverts with the same details on Junk Mail going forward.

  114. Ashina Govind says:

    Hi I have been trying to get a loan I have applied in a few online applications such as loan hub sa, Max law and loan scout and few more however. I have got no response to date. I tried calling but still no help. Max law is even more disgusting as when I called the receptionist put me through to another customer awaiting to speak to the consultant. Now I get a threathing email from loan hub sa stating I owe them R2000 for a service I did not receive. How do I cancel them or have these people sued.

    • Jani Grey says:

      Hi Ashina,

      Thank you for bringing this to our attention. If any of this is connected to Junk Mail, please explain the situation and send all the information you have to scam@junkmail.co.za, who will look into the matter.

      Have a good day.

  115. Zandile says:

    Hi. I would like to find out if Tissa CC is a scam or not?

  116. George says:

    lt’s lottostar a scam or wat

    • Jani Grey says:

      Hi George,

      Unfortunately we cannot help with any information on this company, but you can search for complaints on Hellopeter.com.

      Kind regards!

  117. Ray says:

    I want to find out about navela financial services. They have an ncr number. But asking for loan insurance of R 5000 and said that loan will be transferred. And then a further email was send asking for R7800 as transfer fees before the loan is transferred.

    • Jani Grey says:

      Hi Ray,

      Unfortunately we cannot comment on the legitimacy of this company, but want to encourage you to thoroughly investigate them before entering into any agreement with them. Start by doing a google search about them, and be sure to visit hellopeter.com to read up on any reviews other people might have placed.

      Rather be safe than sorry.

      Thank you for using Junk Mail.

  118. Polly says:

    Hi there. I have a friend who fell for a scam attempt. She hasn’t paid money over yet- thank goodness, and isn’t planning on. However, she sent them her address and ID number. How can she subsequently protect the information? I’m more worried about the ID number.

    • Jani Grey says:

      Hi Polly,

      We are very happy to hear she didn’t pay any money yet. However, the ID could become a bit of an issue.

      Please request your friend to go to her nearest SAPS and sign an affidavit stating that she was conned into supplying the ‘seller’ those details and that should anything happen with her details, she can show that her ID was compromised. It is very important to do this as soon as possible, so that the date stamp can show a proactive approach.

      Kind regards,
      The Junk Mail Team

  119. Merle says:

    My Wife Just recently advertised an Item for sale on the OLX App in October 20417 and was contacted by a UK Resident (Rose Johnson) and thy communicated by e-mail as mentioned below. The sad part is that whilst my wife was honest it appears the other side was not. First my wife was told to open a PayPal account and then the trouble really started. The buyer add additional costs to the purchase and informed my wife that she should pay this money from her Bank account via a Money order before the Money in the PayPal account could be realest. may wife unfortunately did this and then an additional cost for Insurance materialized which again she MUST pay before the PayPal amount would reflected as available in her account. When she explained that she did not have the required amount available things became nasty and now everything has gone quite.

  120. Mpho says:

    Hi. There is a guy called Zachariah Letsatsi Mofokeng who stays in Cosmo City, JHB and is originally from the Vaal. He targets women from various dating sites and asks them to borrow him money for his export/import business and disappears. He has scammed 5 women of almost R500 000,00. Please be careful ladies!!! This guy is sick!!

    • Jani Grey says:

      Hi Mpho,

      Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. If this has anything to do with a listing/placement on our website, please send the link along with any additional information you might have to scam@junkmail.co.za.

      Kind regards,
      The Junk Mail Team

  121. Mbatha says:

    You forgot to mention college scams. Nanda Sooben operated multiple art schools for nearly 2 years after losing registration due to not meeting quality requirements.

    https://www.ecr.co.za/news/news/dept-descends-arts-college-operating-illegally/

    He kept CFAD open illegally and took money from us parents and students. Without being able to offer any of us genuine qualifications. He lied about his colleges being registered and took our money! Yet he paints himself as a victim. Now that’s a scam.

  122. Kantha Naidoo says:

    Beware of George who purports to be from a Stock-broking platform called IEquity. He takes your
    R21 000.00 and is never available to deliver on his promises. He is a scam or con artist and operates throughout South Africa.
    he arranges an appointment with you and puts forward a very convincing pitch where you can “trade on the stock market with his programme in a particular way that guarantees your returns. he also brings in Byron Lovegrove who also lies and makes false promises, altho they appear to know a lot about the stock market.You have to, in addition to the R 21000.00, deposit money into a Nedbank account that is probably his. But the platform he sells you is non existent. Many people have been conned.

    • Jani Grey says:

      Hi Kantha,

      Thank you for letting others know about his. If this is available anywhere on Junk Mail, please send an email with all the details to scam@junkmail.co.za and we will look into it from our side.

      Kind regards,
      The Junk Mail Team

  123. Clarah says:

    All I can say is be careful with Guarantor Loans the name of the lady is Janice R Adams a very swift scammer. She scammed me R7,300 last night.

  124. Elsabe van der Merwe says:

    Datahub is ‘n scam. I lost my money.

  1. October 23, 2015

    […] Never give out personal details over email, especially from banking institutions. As no bank will ever ask for this information via email – these requests are always a scam. Also anything stipulating that you have won or inherited something is usually a scam. They are numerous and always changing, so seeking out the information to identify the latest scams is a good prevention method. For some of the latest scams running on SA, see here. […]

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