Be wary about fraudsters during the festive season

FRAUDSTERS are on a rampage to swindle people especially during the festive season. The fraudsters use all kinda of tricks in a bid to swindle people.

The fraudsters may send a text message purporting that the person has won a car or a certain amount of money. To claim the prize, the purported winner will be ordered to send money to a particular mobile phone number.

Some fraudsters may also send the message to some one requesting the partic ular individual to send the bank account details on the pretext that the individual’s bank details are being up graded when in actual fact not.

Youths are in most cases duped by the fraudsters be cause they are desperate to either get employed or get sponsored for tertiary education.

The fraudsters may swin dle the former by sending the message stating that they have won a scholar ship for courses of their preference for the January 2022 intake for instance.

In addition, the fraud sters may send messages requesting people to send money to a mobile phone number so that they can be recruited by one of the following: Zambia Police Service, Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force and the Zambia National Service.

However, the fraudsters tend to use names and pictures of the prominent people such as the Cabinet Ministers and the republi can President to swindle the general public. By the time the person realises that the deal is a scam, it will be too late.

Just last Saturday, I re ceived this message which I guessed was from the fraudster: “To send that money use this number of Airtel (0779439850) the name will come (JOSEPH SINTUNFYA) my num ber is not working in Airtel money. Thanks.”

To avert the scenario where people are swindled by the fraudsters, there is need to sensitise people about the fraudsters who have been swindling people using all sorts of tricks.

On the other hand, the law enforcers, the police should arrest the fraudsters so th at the latter can face the full wrath of the law.