Montclair crime in brief

A SUSPECT made off with stolen electronics from a house on Heron Way in Yellowwood Park on Monday, November 29 at about 00:10.

Montclair police’s spokesperson, Captain Derek Vijiam, said the victim was studying when she found an intruder inside her home.

He held her at knifepoint when she got up to check out what cause the noise she had heard emanating from the kitchen.

“She paid no attention to the noise as she was under the impression that it was her sister. She continued to study, however, after a few minutes she realised something was not right in the house.

“She walked towards the kitchen where she was met by an unfamiliar man attired in dark clothing, gloves and balaclava. She screamed and he pointed at her with a knife and told her to keep quiet.

“He took electronic items and made his getaway on foot. The suspect gained entry through the kitchen door,” he said.

Fraud

RESIDENTS are warned of a dubious scamming tactic that has cheated people of their money. Montclair police have issued out an appeal for vigilance as to not fall victim to this fraud scam.

According to Vijiam the scam has been in existence for some time now and there had been previous warnings from police. Recently five cases were reported at the station where he advised, suspects have reverted to using the same modus operandi.

“A trend has been detected where the residents have been tricked into believing, when they deposit cash into an app called Jumia, they will receive large amounts of dividends for their investment. Residents must be careful of the app as they are being misled and their money will be lost permanently,” Vijiam.

To source this product, he said, one searches the internet and identifies a specific client who is also part of the scam. After paying an amount of cash to the app, the victim realises that they were scammed.

In one of the cases that were reported at the station, the victim purchased shares on the Jumia app which states that once a cash deposit is made, fairly large amounts of dividends are paid into the account.

“After the money was deposited, the victims realised that it was a scam when they did not receive any payments and the agent cannot be traced.

“These scammers are targeting desperate people who are still hell-bent on the get rich quick schemes. SAPS Montclair appeals to residents to be aware of these ongoing scams and verify with relevant people when they receive such requests,” he added.