A Facebook post on the I love Parkhurst group, warning of a con woman operating at the Rosebank Mall drew a number of responses from people telling of similar experiences with her.
Fran Harrison, the woman who created the post, was approached outside Woolworths by a well-dressed, seemingly frazzled woman in her 50s. The woman, who came across as very sweet and pleasant caught Harrison off-guard while she was ordering a coffee.
“At first she asked me where I was parked and I was caught off guard and thought she needed help,” said Harrison.
“She said she needed to get to Krugersdorp and when my face sort of dropped she said she needed R350 to get there.”
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The woman, who reportedly drives a pale-blue Mercedes has used a variety of excuses in order to con people out of their money. “She didn’t rush off when I gave her the money; she definitely played into the gender stereotype and the age stereotype,” said Harrison.
A number of others also reported seeing the same woman around the Parkhurst area and she has apparently been conning people in the area for many years.
Richard Buckingham, another member of the I love Parkhurst group said that he had seen the woman in the area as far back as 10 years ago. “She stopped me at the robot adjacent to the Shell garage on 1st Avenue, Parkhurst and she asked for R150 to fill up her car as it had run out of petrol in the Hyde Park area, but just her tone and manner put me on guard,” said Buckingham, who said he has also seen the woman near the robots of Jan Smuts and William Nicol drives, near the Spar in Craighall, as well as the shops on 7th Avenue in Parktown North.
Most recently she tried to approach him outside Incredible Connection at Rosebank Mall but quickly turned away when she recognised him.
Sergeant Bongi Mdletshe, spokesperson for the Rosebank Police Station said that he was not aware of a con woman operating in the area. “The malls, Rosebank and The Zone, have never complained. They have never said to us there is this woman here and we need you to chase her away.”
Tell us if you have ever been the victim of a con artist on WhatsApp on 079 439 5245.
