Africa-Press – Namibia. SharoldIne Bock
MINISTER of fisheries and marine resources Derek Klazen has cautioned the public against fraudsters using politicians’ names to scam unsuspecting members of the public.
He issued the warning last week at a meeting at Mariental attended by councillors and Hardap governor Salomon April.
“We know there is hardship in our country; we know the prices of food are going up; we understand everything; but … some citizens of our country have also become cleverer and have decided they are going to use some of our names as ministers, councillors, governors, mayors … All of us are targets of fraud,” Klazen said.
“I don’t know who they are. They are calling people, saying ‘my name is Derek Klazen and I am having this problem and that problem, and my car is stuck now, can you please e-wallet me N$2 000, N$5 000?’.
“These are the types of messages they are circulating to which people who sometimes know us immediately respond and pay the money, because they believe it is us.”
He urged the public not to send money to such individuals unless they have verified their identity.
“Verify, don’t just send money, because most of us will not ask people for money, especially people who are not our family or so.
“I am cautioning the Namibian people out there: Don’t be fooled by these people who may also be in need.
“They are also very creative, they come up with ways, they are clever with how to defraud the Namibian nation, and if you send that money it will be tough for you to get that money back again,” he said.
Klazen said it was not the first time his name was used fraudulently.
“I’ve been on Facebook as well, where my name is used to defraud others . . . I want to make it crystal clear that I will never ask for money that way from anybody,” he said.
“There are a lot of schemes going on. Just yesterday [last week Wednesday], I learnt about a scheme where they take a baby, put it in front of a gate, and then hide behind the bush, then the baby is crying.
“People are looking from the windows to see what is going on, and when the baby stops crying the person comes from the bush to beat the baby to cry again, and then runs back to the bush again.
“It is so inhumane, but this is how gangsters are working,” he said.
“The taxi arrives and goes to another destination again…” he said.
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