POLOKWANE – A 26-year-old man is expected to appear before local magistrate courts soon on charges of fraud following his arrest at Mall of the North on Thursday (March 10).
According to police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, the man allegedly defrauded home builders in the Capricorn and Sekhukhune Districts through social media platforms since 2021 and was arrested following intensive investigations by police.
“The suspect reportedly advertised his business of selling concrete slabs through social media, claiming that he was the owner and CEO of ‘MKP CONCRETE RIB AND BLOCK SLAB PTY LTD’. He would request a 50% deposit from his victims before he delivered and then, after receiving the deposit, would disappear.”
Read more: Local home builders scammed of almost R300 000
Mojapelo says in one of the cases reported at the Mecklenburg police station, the suspect defrauded a victim of R57 000, which was transferred directly into his bank account and failed to deliver the material.
“Cases have been reported in the Mankweng and Mecklenburg policing areas as well as in other parts of the province where he defrauded the victims for an estimated amount of over a million Rand,” he added.
Mojapelo says police are urging those who were defrauded by the owner of MKP Trading Enterprise in Mankweng to come forward and report to the police to assist with ongoing investigations by contacting the Provincial Head of Commercial Crime Brigadier Ramokolo on 071 481 2944; the crime stop number 08600 10111; the nearest Police Station or the MySAPSApp.
