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By Citizen Reporter

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WATCH: Fake money scam back in the spotlight in Gauteng

While some say the scammers use powder, some say its teamwork that makes scammers' operations successful.


Anticrime activist Yusuf Abramjee has warned people of an old fake money scam that scammers have started using again to rob people of their belongings. In a video he shared, a man explains how these scammers work together to take people’s belongings, especially in Rabie Ridge and Ivory park, he said.

“They use some kind of liquid or powder to make you dizzy. It’s actually a powder that they spray on your face and you get dizzy and forget what just happened.”

Following the video, South Africans have taken to social media to share how the scammers used the same tricks to rob them of their belongings.

Twitter user Eucan Carter wrote: “It happens all over Tembisa. I’m not sure about making you dizzy, but what they do is that they see you using a smartphone, mostly iPhones since they got iCloud. One guy will pass you running like he’s in a hurry for something and drop this fake money in front of you when the other guy picks it up right in front of your eyes. You will obviously try to call the guy who dropped it, but he will then come close to you and tell you not to. No muthi no nothing.”

@NoemiaM3 said: “[It] Once happened next to me, but fortunately I was already aware of the scam, so I just looked at the money and the criminal walking behind me, I rolled my eyes and kept walking fast. I looked back and saw that he picked it up and crossed the street.”

“I was a victim of this in 2017 in Braamfontein going to campus… my phone was taken so smooth. In my case, it was a team of guys one dropped the cash in front of me I picked it up and called him to give it back he kept walking and my phone was gone, I don’t know how but I was left standing with fake money.

“I think when I bent down to pick up the money, one of the guys pick-pocketed me… the job was done hence I think he didn’t care about the money when I called him,” said Kgothatso Mape, while Geoff wrote: “Wow guys that happened to me last year around November and they took my phone and card… Mina it was fake R200.”

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