Tshwane District police arrested a wanted suspect in an armed robbery and attempted murder case in Mabopane, north of Pretoria on October 14.
An intelligence operation led the team to Mabopane Taxi Rank, where the suspect was arrested.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the suspect was wanted for an armed robbery and attempted murder case in Loate.
A victim was shot and robbed in August after he came to buy a vehicle advertised through the Facebook Marketplace.
“The public is once more urged to be vigilant and cautious when using online shopping.”
The provincial commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, has applauded the team for their swift efforts in addressing these online robberies which are rife in the Tshwane area.
He also thanked the public for working together with the police by reporting tip-offs.
The police have issued a warning about online scams where criminals post fake advertisements on social media and online marketplaces to steal money from unsuspecting buyers.
According to police spokesperson Sergeant Connie Moganedi, investigations have revealed that most victims deposit a large sum of cash after seeing an advertisement or a picture published on social media platforms, only to discover that the seller does not exist.
She said while some scammers will just publish an advertisement so that you can pay money directly to them, others will be less obvious.
How to identify a Marketplace scam:
While most Marketplace users are trusted buyers and sellers, bad apples can also take advantage of the site to trick people into falling for scams. Here are a few key signs from IT security company F-Secure you can watch out for that could indicate you are communicating with a scammer:
– Too good to be true: When a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is. Shoppers should be wary of any listing offering an extremely low price for a valuable item. Likewise, sellers should watch out for potential buyers who offer more than the asking price.
– Manufactured urgency: If you receive immediate messages from a buyer or seller urging you to act ASAP, exercise caution before proceeding. Scammers often use the illusion of urgency to trick buyers or sellers into going forward with less-than-legitimate deals.
– Odd payment requests: Scammers often make unusual and very specific payment requests, without flexibility. For example, Facebook recommends buyers avoid making sales or transactions that require them to pay with gift cards. You also should verify the quality and condition of the item you are buying before exchanging money or personal information of any kind.
– Suspicious photos: If there is only one photo of an item from the site where it was originally purchased and no current photos of the item in its actual condition, be wary that the item may not exist, or may not exist according to the quality promised.
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