Beware of false message claiming rape and theft at shopping centres
Police have previously confirmed that there is no such person as Inspector Ian Roberts employed in the Saps nor is there a position such as Public Information Officer.
AN old hoax email has now resurfaced in the form of a WhatsApp message warning people to be wary of rapist-thieves when shopping at major centres and malls.
Initially, the first such email, supposedly from an Inspector Ian Roberts, an Saps Public Information Officer, appeared in 2003 and was written on an ‘official’ police letterhead.
Previously, the email was circulated through the Cape and included various Cape points of interest.
The message warns shoppers to be careful when entering public restrooms at major shopping centres as rapist/thieves are targeting vulnerable women and children.
ALSO READ: True or false? What you need to know about WhatsApp scams and hoaxes
According to the message, which a Pennington resident said she had received from a friend, a man supposedly hides in the ladies’ restroom and waits for his victims to appear. He then supposedly places an ‘out of order’ sign on the entrance to the restroom and forces his victims to hand over their belongings at gunpoint.
Various false instances of rape have also been reported in the message.
Police have previously confirmed that there is no such person as Inspector Ian Roberts employed in the Saps nor is there a position such as Public Information Officer.
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