Welcome

Welcome to ScamPup. ScamPup is your local South African resource to learn about online scams and get assistance if you have been scammed. Our target audience is the general South African Internet user facing fraud on the Internet.

This website is still under construction and expanding as to serve the public better.

What type of scams do you deal with?

Essentially ScamPup deals with Advance Fee Fraud in South Africa. We also gladly accept reports on Romance Scammers. While our target audience is South Africans, we will also accept information from international parties pertaining to South African based scammers.

If the issue you are facing is fraud, not necessarily Advance Fee Fraud related, but cyber crime, we will also attempt to assist or put you in contact with somebody that can assist you.

What is Advance Fee Fraud?

Advance Fee Fraud is when a scammer (or scammers) fraudulently targets a victim to make an upfront (advance) payment for fictitious/non-existent items, services or like with

In essence this is a generic scam classification. This scam can be sub-classified into more precise scams such as 419 scams, pet scams, non-existent goods scams etc. The scammer depends on the anonymity the Internet can provide to evade responsibility for the crime he commits.

What is a Pet Scam?

In a nutshell, this is a form of advance fee fraud.

Someone advertises a high value pet that does not exist. The images shown are taken from the web. The scammer will claim to be located far away from the potential victim. This creates a situation whereby the victim cannot physically view the pet or meet the seller. This also ensures the victim has to obtain the pet by transferring money to the scammer's bank account beforehand. As part of a follow-on scam, the victim has to use a non-existent courier to transport the pet. This allows for additional fees and glitches such as a crate being too small, insurance fees, a potential vet bill and all other kinds of opportunities for the scammer to defraud the victim further.

What is a Non-Delivery scam?

Non-delivery scams are identical to pet scams in as far as the camera, TV, laptop or whatever does not exist. Here images are more plentiful to fraudulently advertise good the scammer has no intention of supplying. Typically the item will be advertised at way below market prices, but of course you would have to pay before it's shipped. Additionally you may be conned into believing the price is for more than one of an item, so your bargain at R4000 for an R8000 item is still not too bad if you take three, you can sell two again easily, except you will never receive the item. Then of course there is the insurance and the shipping costs. The quoted costs were per unit, not three. Lo and behold, later the items may be stuck in customs and taxes need to be paid … the excuses and hold-ups continues as your bank balance declines.

Businesses are equally scammed in these. Various commodity items such as paper, seeds and feeds, agricultural produce, sea foods and chemicals are sold. Typically a deposit is required, the balance once the good are at the logistics company. The logistics company is part of the scam and a fake bill of lading is sent to the victim. Additional insurance and other charges will now be due. Long story short; the costs continue for non-existent items.

These scams have been also linked to fake cheque scams and money mule scams.

What is a Cameroonian Export scam?

This scam is described under non-delivery scam. The particular identifying execution of the scam, by parties originating from the Cameroon, gave rise to the term.

Cheque Scam

We may find cheque scams where the bogus seller tries to make it right by overpaying you and requesting you pay a third party the remainder of the cheque balance. Your expenses can be deducted form the cheque you will receive, just send the difference on to somebody that has to be paid. Guess who foots the bill for the fraudulent cheque when it bounces? You!

See SABRIC's website on this type of fraud: https://www.sabric.co.za/Safety-Tips/Deposit-And-Refund-Scams.aspx

Money Mule Scam

Further these scams are also linked to money mule scams where a victim is conned into receiving the stolen monies while thinking he is working from home for a reputable company. Once again, the mule is a victim, but ends up in deeps trouble!

Please also read this: https://www.sabric.co.za/stay-safe/money-laundering/

Non-existent services scam

Just like a physical item may be used as bait in a scam, the item may be replaced with a service. These may take the form of a job scam, where you have to pay an amount to the recruitment agent for a non-existent job. As another example, flats and houses are advertised where the agent misrepresents the situation and does not have rights to rent the property or the property does not exist in reality. Junkmail has an excellent article on this type of scam and some good advice: http://www.junkmail.co.za/blog/9-steps-avoid-property-scam/1764

It's important to realize that we cannot describe each and every form of scam on the net. The more we start relying on the internet to obtain services and information, the more we will unfortunately encounter cyber criminals that may target us if we are not wary. Think before you click!

What is a Romance Scam?

Also called love scams or dating scams.

More and more people are turning to the Internet to find that ideal life partner. This affords all the security of not exposing yourself unless you think the relationship might have a chance. But then that ideal partner suddenly has a sick family member. Or your new partner's contract is tied up or went sour. Or that new partner desperately wants to fly out to meet you. Could you spare a few rands … actually more than a few? This scam has been widely publicised of late.

Who we are

ScamPup is a website run by ordinary people like you, but with experience in the advance fee fraud arena (fake lotto winnings, inheritance scams etc). Further, through the years, we have built up contacts in the Internet anti-fraud community allowing us to understand how scammers operate and giving us the ability to disrupt these scams, channel them to the appropriate parties at the South African Police Services for investigation and at the relevant parties at online providers for removal. All this is done in the hope that some of the public will be spared from the devastating realization of being scammed.

Can you recover my money?

No, ScamPup cannot assist you recovering any monies you may have lost to fraud. Recovering such monies would require access to South Afriican Police Services (SAPS) resources. While we may work closely with SAPS, we are not SAPS. We also have no legal brief to undertake such an exercise. In most of the instances related to the fraud we deal with, the scammer is a fictitious entity. This is not a civil matter, rather a criminal one.

As a cautionary note, the golden rule of losing money on the net is; “When it's gone, it's gone forever!”. Anybody promising to recover your money is probably trying to defraud you in a follow-up scam.

Do you charge for your services?

ScamPup will never charge for it's services. ScamPup is run by private individuals for the benefit of ordinary South Africans.

I've been scammed?

We are extremely sorry to hear that you have been defrauded. Please read our section I've been scammed on how to proceed immediately.

I spotted a scam

Report it to us by all means. We will research any information you provide. Please visit our section on reporting scams. However if you have been scammed and lost money, rather report it at I've been scammed. It is important that we learn about it.

Will my private information be safe with you?

Yes. All reasonable efforts are made to protect your privacy. Please read our privacy policy.