Vehicle scam returns

POLOKWANE – The Polokwane police have warned residents to be wary of a vehicle deposit scam that has resurfaced in the city once again.
Review reported on the scam in October 2014, where residents were duped out of money after they replied to advertisements to buy a car.
According to Polokwane police spokesperson, Capt Ntobeng Phala, at least two new people reported that they were victims of the scam.
One resident, Neels Pieterse, told Review that he replied to an advertisement at one of the shops he visited often, where a vehicle was being sold for R35 000.
When Pieterse called the number on the advertisement, he spoke to a man named Derrick Hanekom.
“He sent me photos of the vehicle on Whatsapp and told me that the owner was out of town, but there were already two other people looking to buy the vehicle.
“He said I would be guaranteed the vehicle if I was willing to pay a deposit. As I did not want to lose the vehicle, I paid R5 000 into a bank account that was given to me with the guarantee that I would meet the owner of the vehicle and see it within a day or two,” said Pieterse.
He said he spoke to Hanekom a few times over the phone, but his calls went unanswered after the deposit was paid.
“The first few times I thought the man was just busy and only started to suspect something was wrong two days after the payment was made. I tried to reverse the payment, but was told that the account had been cleaned out,” he said.
Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said his experience was a bit different.
He saw a vehicle with a “for sale” sign parked at a shopping centre in the city. When he called the contact number on the sign, he spoke to a man who introduced himself as Jan van der Merwe.
“We arranged a meeting for me to see the car and Van der Merwe told me to bring a R10 000 deposit to show I was serious about buying the car.
“The car was being sold for R50 000, but I managed to negotiate with him to sell me the car for R47 000. I paid the deposit and he told me I could pay the balance after he fixed some minor things on the car and had it valeted. But I never saw or heard from him again,” the man told Review.
When the man tried to call Van der Merwe two days later, the number went straight to voice mail, but he couldn’t leave a message as the mail box was full.
Phala said it was important for residents to be aware of scams where money was paid. He said he was aware of the cases that were opened, and urged anyone who might have fallen victim to the scam to come forward.

Victims lose out in vehicle deposit scam