An internet car sale went horribly wrong for an Athlone man who was scammed by a skelm he met on Facebook Marketplace.
The incident at Vangate Mall on Monday caused a stir on chat groups amid fake claims that the popular Cape Flats mall had been robbed by armed men.
Athlone police station commander Louis Solomons says the viral message caused unnecessary panic as there was no robbery at any of the winkels.
“There was no such robbery and the message spread was false,” Solomons explains.
“What happened was the car owner advertised his maroon Fiat Strada on Facebook and was set to meet the buyer at Vangate Mall on Monday morning.
“He had sold the car for R50 000 and the buyer allegedly sent proof that the funds were deposited into his account.”
Solomons says after meeting up, the seller handed over the car and the dief drove away but when checking his bank account, he realised he had been scammed.
“When he saw there was no money in his account that is when he only realised he was scammed and the crowd gathered,” Solomons says.
“The person had already left and he had no details to help trace him.
“He came to the station and reported a theft of a motor vehicle.”
“The case is now being investigated.”
Solomons urges mense to be extra vigilant of scams over the festive period.
“This is the third incident reported in the Athlone precinct. I want to warn people to be careful when selling goods online,” he warns.
Community Police Forum chairperson Sharon Claasen also cautions mense to be careful when buying or selling goods online.
“When purchasing from online marketplace sites like Facebook, Gumtree, OLX or Bidorbuy you need to be extra cautious of scammers.
“Research the seller first and meet in a public place with closed-circuit television surrounded by lots of people.
“A collection on receipt of cash policy is a good idea,” Claasen says.
“When selling goods online and accepting EFT payment, do not part with goods until payment reflects in your bank account.”
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