Police say four people who bought items on Facebook Marketplace were robbed of their money in Lower Crossroads recently.
Philippi East police communications officer Granville Meyer told the Cape Argus that these incidents happened in the past few weeks.
“Just yesterday morning [on Monday], I was informed by the detectives that someone saw a trumpet on Marketplace and drove to the township and they was robbed,” Granville said.
“There was a person who was attacked while trying to sell a guitar. They then came to the police station and reported the crime. I asked why they didn’t meet up in front of the station and why they felt it was safe to go to meet the buyer alone.”
Meyer said they have communicated to people that they should refrain from buying items in this way.
“Another buyer came to report that scammers took his R8 000. He saw a boat which is normally to the value of R80 000 and he thought he would come and get it.
“He gave the seller money, and the suspect said he was going to get the boat from his brothers and that was the last time the victim saw him.”
Another man went to buy a drone, which was sold for R5 000.
Meyer said: “People need to identify scams. Why would you go to buy a drone in Brown’s Farm? This has been all over the news, don’t go buy goods in such areas because it has been shown that people get robbed in them.
“We wish to warn people again, go to the police station even if the advert is real, rather be safe than sorry.”
TikToker @disnoulenou said that on August 15, he and a friend were robbed in Brown’s Farm, Philippi, after finding a part for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
He explained that on their way, directions were changed and they ended up at a house in Bristol Street where a teen told them to “park out of the way”. He said armed suspects then robbed him of R5 000.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za