The Land Transport Authority has turned to the police to assist them in their investigations of people impersonating LTA officers.
LTA Spokesperson Iliesa Sokia says since last year, impersonators have scammed thousands of dollars out of members of the public, who have been promised LTA permits.
Posing as LTA managers, the impersonators deal with their victims over the phone, promising them different permits in exchange for cash.
Sokia says members of the public are then told to deposit the money in a bank account, and in most cases, the unsuspecting customer only finds out its a scam after the cash is being deposited.
“We’ve estimated that from last year to this year; close to thirty thousand dollars have been spent. They’ve been tricked to deposit that amount of money.”
A point of concern also for the LTA is the information that impersonators are privy to.
According to Iliesa Sokia, the names of two senior managers have been used, and this may prompt an internal investigation.
“We do suspect that there are elements of collusion. We’d probably need to investigate further and ascertain where this information is coming from.”
The advice from the LTA has been the same since this issue first came to light. If you’re applying for a permit, visit your nearest LTA office and deal directly with LTA officers.
