’Beware of traffic con’: Motorists warn against using service to settle fines
|Published
PAY IT BACK: Aadil Alexander. Picture: Supplied
Motorists are crying foul after allegedly being scammed by a man who offers to pay their traffic fines.
The victims say they paid Aadil Alexander from Parkwood in advance to have their fines and warrants settled due to their busy schedules.
However, they say the payments were not made and now they are having a hard time getting refunded.
Omar Khan, 28, from Manenberg says he paid R7300 to Aadil to have his engine clearance, roadworthy and data dot for the car sorted out.
“He eventually gave my car’s papers back after more then two months of vigorously trying to get hold of him,” says the dad of three.
“He still owes me about R2000 and an apology.
“This has affected me and my family so badly.
“I got dismissed at work while trying to sort this out, and my kid’s birthday is in a few weeks and we can’t even buy her a cake.
“I want my money and would like to warn people to be careful of this guy, he is a scammer.”
Another woman, Penelope (surname not provided), says Aadil advertised his services on Facebook and she contacted him in August.
“I went to see him and he was quite polite.
“I transferred R2500 into his account for a warrant and fines which he said he would sort out in that same week,“ she says.
“My warrants and fines came to R1800 in total, so he made R700.
“A month went by, and I saw some people with the same problem: payments were done but no results.
“He said it’s paid, he’s just waiting for the blue tick to be taken off.
“In October I had to cough up money and go pay it myself, that’s another R1800 because I could not take out my car licence without sorting out my warrants first.”
The City’s traffic chief JP Smith says: “We receive ad hoc complaints from motorists who have lost money to third party service providers.
“The City is aware of service providers who offer to settle fines, renew licence discs and other traffic-related administration for a fee.
“However, it must be noted that these are not endorsed by the City’s Traffic Service and motorists who make use of them do so at their own risk.”
When the Daily Voice contacted Alexander, he said he was unable to refund his clients because he ran into financial difficulties
“The business has been slow and I have taken a financial knock,” he says.
“I will be applying for a financial rescue soon.”