At least three residents have been duped out of their money and motor vehicles by a con-artist who pretends to buy their vehicles but never pays.
One such resident is Louis van der Westhuizen. Van der Westhuizen says that he saw an advertisement in the record’s sister newspaper The Citizen of a business that buys damaged vehicles. He contacted the man, known to him only as “Ismail”. On 18 September 2014 after agreeing on selling his car to the man for R15 000 his car was collected. He was promised that within seven days the deal will be finalised and the man would pay the money.
When Van der Westhuizen phoned him after the agreed period expired the man became rude telling him “to f—–g go and read the fine print”.
On 18 October Van der Westhuizen phoned him and threatened him. The man then said that he has made an internet transfer which turned out not to be true.
Eventually he gave Van der Westhuizen R3000 and said he will finalize the outstanding amount within four days. When the period once again expired without receiving any money, Van der Westhuizen went to the business address in Primrose where the vehicle was originally taken but the vehicle was gone. He spoke to the assistant who told him the vehicle had been sold. This perplexed him since he still had the original vehicle registration papers.
When he got hold of the man, he once again told Van der Westhuizen “to go an f—k himself.
Van der Westhuizen then decided to take the man to the small claims court. He told “Ismael” that he will withdraw the case if he pays. Just before Christmas the man asked for his banking details again, but by the next Monday the money was still not in his account.
A letter of demand was delivered to “Ismail” but when he phoned him the man swore at him once again and threw the phone down in his ear.
Since then the man reacts the same way every time Van der Westhuizen phones him. The man goes by various aliases. According to another victim these names include Mohsin Mohammed Alli, Alli Ismail Mohsin,Yusuf Ismail Ali and Mogsin Ali Ishmail and he regularly advertises in The Citizen.
According to his victims his modus operandi is always the same and he drives a white BMW.
