'FACATA' SCAMMERS TRIED TO SCAM ME - NATCOM

MATSAPHA - It appears the ‘facata’ scammers know no boundaries, as they attempted to defraud the National Commissioner (NATCOM) of Police, Vusi Manoma Masango.

This revelation came from the NATCOM himself, during a discussion about the three prevalent criminal activities affecting the country: ‘facata’ scams, gang violence and livestock theft.

He was speaking at the farewell function for 220 retired police officers and civilian support staff (2018-2023), held at Matsapha Police Academy.

The ‘facata’ scam encompasses a broad range of fraudulent activities that exploit vulnerabilities within digital financial systems, manipulating individuals into surrendering their funds.

He explained that everyone is seemingly a target of the ‘facata’ scammers, as they had contacted him on two separate occasions. In the first instance, he received a text message informing him that he had received funds from the Swaziland Building Society (SBS).

Farming

Shortly thereafter, he received a phone call from an individual claiming they had sent him money for farming purposes. NATCOM stated that he informed the caller he had not applied for any agricultural funding. In response, the caller claimed the money originated from constituency headmen and was provided free of charge.

“They are persuasive and cunning, to the point where I was beginning to consider their story,” the police chief admitted.

Subsequently, he said they enquired about his bank, stating that while the funds were held at SBS, they could transfer them to his personal account. However, he quickly realised this was likely an attempt by ‘facata’ scammers.

Following this incident, he felt uneasy and verified with his banks whether the ‘facata’ scammers had gained unauthorised access. He also recounted a more recent incident where they called him, mistaking him for a constable based at police headquarters, whom they addressed him by name and force number. NATCOM did not elaborate on the specifics of their narrative.

In this context, he emphasised that internet crime remains a significant challenge for their policing efforts. He noted that a substantial number of Eswatini citizens have been defrauded of their hard-earned money.

“As we speak, we have arrested 59 suspects, six of whom are female. To date, approximately E2.7 million has been stolen from Eswatini citizens by these scammers,” NATCOM disclosed.

Victims

However, he pointed out that this figure does not accurately reflect the total amount stolen, as some victims have not reported their cases to the police for various reasons, including protecting their reputations.

Similarly, NATCOM highlighted that gang violence has emerged as a priority crime.

He explained that they have attempted to address this issue through a combination of prevention, intervention and suppression strategies, often in collaboration with community stakeholders.

This includes proactive policing, intelligence gathering, targeted investigations and community outreach.

“I am warning all gang members to cease their unlawful activities, as the police service will not treat any transgression lightly. Instead, we will enforce the full extent of the law. If necessary, we will adopt an aggressive approach, rather than allowing gangs to ‘rule’ the country,” NATCOM asserted.

Furthermore, he identified livestock theft as another persistent problem for the police service. He noted that Eswatini citizens are losing their livestock, primarily cattle and goats.

To combat this, they will implement anti-livestock theft campaigns, which will also serve as warnings to livestock rustlers within communities, indicating that the police force will be relentless in their pursuit.

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