A Kocksoord woman was recently the victim of a robbery that could possibly be linked to a larger scam.
Susan Vollgraaff was the victim of a robbery in Village Square Mall on Thursday, 20 October. Her handbag was snatched, allegedly by two female suspects, outside a popular clothing store.
Vollgraaff said she went into the clothing store where she met a woman who told her she could get the same clothes in the store at a much cheaper price.
Impressed with the offer, Vollgraaff continued her conversation with the woman, and then gave the woman her phone so that she could enter her number. The woman allegedly took her phone and entered a number, but she also called another woman whom she said was from the store.
Vollgraaff said she began to feel that something wasn’t right and left the store to sit on a bench in the mall outside the store. Vollgraaff said the woman suddenly sat down next to her on the bench with another woman nearby. The woman on the bench then asked Vollgraaff for her handbag, but she refused to hand it over. The woman then grabbed the bag, threw it to her accomplice, and ran.
At the beginning of last year, the Randfontein Police alerted shoppers to a crime trend in the Central Business District (CBD) involving a group of women who distract pedestrians and rob them. In one of the previous incidents, a woman’s handbag was stolen. It is, however, unclear whether the same group of women is linked to this most recent case.
Vollgraaff has since opened a case at the Randfontein Police Station but said she had trouble doing so, because of a International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. She also claimed that the police were reluctant to open the case, and rude to her. She said she tried to open the case on the day of the incident, but got no joy, and was only able to open her case the following day. She said that while opening the case, she felt as if she was the suspect, not the victim.
Vollgraaff is a struggling single mother and said in her bag was a small sum of money for her son as well as computer games for him, plus her ID, cards, and two cellphones. She described her bag as made of brown leather with a black bottom. The phones stolen were a nearly new Sony Xperia and an old Blackberry.
Francois du Buisson from Village Square Centre Management said they are aware of the incident and that the matter is being investigated. He added that there is video footage of the incident.
“We strive to always be a safe and secure space for shoppers and encourage all shoppers to report any and all incidents to our security personnel,” he said.
On the matter of Vollgraaff’s treatment while opening the case, Captain Appel Ernst, the Randfontein Police spokesperson said, “Management at the Randfontein Police Station has taken note of this concern. The complainant will be contacted to officially investigate these allegations.”
She reminded the Randfontein community to take note that service delivery issues are a priority, and any dissatisfaction should be addressed with the management of the police station immediately.
“The Randfontein Police strive to adhere to the principle of Batho Pele, and have procedures in place to address and if necessary redress any shortcomings,” Ernst said.
All complaints can be directed to the Randfontein Police on 011 767 2300.
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