The Western Cape police are concerned about the number of cases reported where people who have used online platforms to advertise their goods fall victim to robberies or more serious crime after being lured by criminals acting as buyers to make a delivery in certain areas.
Our analysis of crime trends had initially pointed us to Browns Farm in Nyanga, where this modus operandi has been prevalent with a number of serious cases and a murder being recorded since last year, but we have reason to believe that other areas such as the West Coast and the Winelands are also affected.
It is on this basis that we felt the need to caution the public in general that it is not safe to venture into an unfamiliar area to make a delivery, or meet a potential buyer of an item which had been advertised on an online platform such as Facebook’s Marketplace.
It is advised to arrange a meeting with a potential buyer at a public place, at a time when people are around or even in front of a police station. If the caller has an ulterior motive, he or she will in all probability, make an alternative suggestion, which should raise a red flag.
With this warnin,g SAPS by no means discourages people from making use of online advertising platforms, but to exercise caution when doing so, to prevent becoming a criminal’s next victim.