Another garden-related scam is taking root in Newcastle.
A few residents have revealed on social media how they were taken for a ride by men selling compost from the load bin of a bakkie.
The compost was believed to contain aloe and seaweed.
One resident, who spoke anonymously, said she purchased five bags at R25 apiece and requested the men lay the compost down on her lawn.
“Instead 195 bags arrived and they were all empty.”
The resident and the compost peddlers argued for a while over the price, now inflated to more than R4 000, before she locked the bakkie inside her yard and called the police.
However, the situation threatened to get out of hand.
“I have to give them R480. The police later told me it was a civil case for me to deal with.”
The resident attempted to make contact with the owner of the ‘business’, yet the cellphone number supplied was false.
It has since been revealed the scam is becoming a common occurrence.
“I went onto a local Facebook page and I saw a few people have been caught but are scared to come forward. It’s mostly women and the elderly who are targeted.”
Investigations into the matter revealed a bakkie with the same registration was operating in the Laudium area near Johannesburg in 2014, and the given address for the company is near Vereeniging. Residents are urged to exercise caution to avoid becoming victims of crime.
