In another online buying and selling scam in Brown’s Farm, Nyanga, two people were robbed of their belongings, just one day apart in separate incidents after following up on fake Marketplace deals.
Woodstock resident, Brad Briscoe, had been interested in purchasing a generator.
“I started up a conversation with a man on Marketplace about a generator he was selling. He seemed to be on the ball and well-written etc. When I asked where I could view the item he said we can meet at Juncxion Mall in Nyanga, as transport was an issue for him.
“I messaged him on arrival and scoped the place out. Then the story changed, he then tells me he is not able to get the item to the car park but if I look across the field to the big school over the road, his house is right next door and he was going to send his young boy to come fetch me,” said Briscoe.
The teenage boy arrived, and they drove to the said location – a double-storey home across the field with an open garage and a car parked inside.
Within seconds he was surrounded by at least seven teenage boys, armed with knives, he said.
They stole R1 100 in cash, a Samsung S21 cellphone, JBL Bluetooth headphones, binoculars and bank cards.
In a separate incident, Angelique Smith’s boyfriend, a 29-year-old from Plumstead, was selling a helmet and gloves. “They offered more money if he would deliver it to Brown’s Farms, Philippi,” she said.
When he arrived he was attacked. “His passenger window was smashed with a brick and five men got into the car with him and threatened to stab and murder him if he didn’t give them his money.
“They held him down and took everything. He got to the nearest bank too late – they had already tapped his card 20 times to the amount of R10 000,” said Smith.
Police confirmed both matters were under investigation and said robberies where victims advertising on Facebook’s Marketplace were lured to Brown’s Farm and areas with high crime rates remained a matter of concern.
“No arrests have been made yet,” said Western Cape police spokesperson, Malcolm Pojie.
Earlier this year, Nyanga police said they recorded numerous robbery cases where Marketplace users and e-hailing drivers fell prey to scammers who lured unsuspecting victims to Brown’s Farm, rob and at times attack them.
In September 2022, a 51-year-old Glencairn man suffered the same fate in the Brown’s Farm area. He died after being stabbed during the ordeal.
Nyanga CPF chairperson, Dumisani Qwebe said this was a daily occurrence for them.
He advised: “Whenever you come to Nyanga for this, go to the police station to get support, tell them you received this call from this person, who requested this. Should you go to this area or should you wait here? If it is not a scam the person will come to the police station.”
Cape Times