Do not throw caution to the wind for a bargain – Honeydew police
One resident travelled near Potchefstroom to buy a car but was hijacked after agreeing to buy.
Honeydew police urge residents to exercise caution when responding to online advertisements, following an incident where a resident was involved in a hijacking that may have been linked to the vehicle he bought online.
Police media liaison Warrant Officer Dave Stanton said this was not an isolated case as numerous social media and other online advertisement scams are coming up. “On April 15, a victim saw an advertisement for a sale of a Toyota Quantum on Facebook. He made contact with the seller who purported to be the lawful owner.”
A meeting was arranged in Wolmaranstad in the North West Province, where the prospective buyer took the vehicle for a test drive.
“An agreement was subsequently reached and the victim drove with the owner to collect necessary documents and in the process, they allegedly offered hitchhikers a lift. However, the said hitchhikers robbed the potential buyer of his cellphone and forced him out of the vehicle.”
Stanton said if residents are suspicious of social media and online advertisements, they should contact their nearest police station.
“Prospective buyers are requested to buy from reputable and registered car dealers, and not to carry large amounts of cash nor pay money in cash during transactions. The purchases should only be made at a bank. Most fraudsters manage to snare potential buyers with prices that are ridiculously cheap, unfortunately, this tactic is successful as most victims throw caution to the wind when faced with a bargain.”
Stanton said all other online purchases should be made only when using large, reputable online shopping sites.
“There are many well-designed legitimate-looking shopping websites that are fake. One precaution is to find the contact details on these websites – a physical address and a landline are normally absent on fake sites. Fake operators normally come up with excuses when you ask if you can visit their work address and physically view the items for sale.”
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