Another person has fallen victim to the Philippi con artists using Facebook’s Marketplace.
A Bridgetown resident said he had to use a gun to escape after being lured to Philippi with the promise of a cheap Samsung TV.
Graeme Mitchell, 37, said he made contact with seller, Amos Qaoka, last month to inquire about a 55-inch Samsung TV that was being sold for R3 500, and on June 28, he arranged to meet the seller in Browns Farm.
Graeme explains: “I pulled up to the address at about 3.40pm with my four-year-old son and cousin in the car with me. I sent the guy a message and a young boy came to the window saying I must come inside.
“When I got out, I turned to the car but then I got stabbed in the head and soon about seven guys were around me all with knives.”
Graeme said he tried to fight back but was outnumbered.
“My cousin and son got out of the car but there were so many of them that they could do anything to help,” the dad says.
“My cousin said two of the guys came for them but he just gave over his phone and wallet to protect my son.
“While I was being attacked, I managed to open the driver’s door and get my gun and when the guys saw that, they all ran away.”
Graeme said he was bleeding profusely from his head and ended up at a Mitchells Plain clinic where he got treatment.
“They took my wallet, which had R5 000 cash in it, but they also managed to swipe my cards for about R1 000 before I could block it,” he explains.
“I went to Nyanga Police Station to report it and I gave them all of the details but I am still waiting for a case number. I called a week afterwards and they said it would come in the next five minutes but that was over a month ago.”
Last week the Daily Voice reported a similar incident that happened to a Southfield resident in Colorado Park.
The address where Graeme was attacked, 2634 Msenge Street, was the same address the first victim was given as the seller’s business address.
Sadick Swartz, 37, was left with stab wounds on his left leg and bruises to his groin after a group of men assaulted him and robbed him of R1500.
Meanwhile, police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut advised Graeme to lay a complaint at the Nyanga SAPS over the cops’ slapgat response.
junior.bester@inl.co.za