A Kempton man lost his Mercedez-Benz after trying to sell it on OLX.
The advert for the car, which he was selling for R150 000, was seen by a woman who contacted him under false pretences of being interested in purchasing it, said Kempton Police spokesperson, Capt Jethro Mtshali.
On May 18, the victim met with the “buyer”, who goes by the name of Hilda, at Standard Bank on West Street. Hilda was accompanied by an unknown male. Hilda deposited R150 000 into the victim’s account, for which he received an SMS on his phone, acknowledging the payment,” Mtshali explained.
Also read:
• Van Riebeeck shoot-out after deal gone wrong caught on CCTV
• Police are looking for OLX fraudster
The victim then gave the pair all the documents for the car.
“Later the victim went to his bank and discovered that the money was reversed by the pair but by that time it was too late and he had lost his car.”
Police are investigating a case of car theft but no arrests have been made as yet.
Kempton Park Station Commander, Brig Bertha Kgoroba, warns the community about false sellers and buyers who use platforms such as OLX to scam people.
OLX offers tips on how to avoid being scammed:
• If it appears too good to be true, it probably is. Especially if it’s advertised at a suspiciously low price.
• The seller wants payment before sending you the item.
• The seller can’t meet you in a public place but wants to deliver the item personally.
• The seller asks for personal information such as your bank details, your email address and your debit/credit card number.
Sellers are equally at risk, so before selling any items, read the following:
• The buyer insists on using a cheque, Western Union or MoneyGram.
• The buyer demands you send the item before they pay for it.
• The seller asks for personal information such as your bank details, your email address and your debit/credit card number.
• The buyer is from a foreign country.
Source: help.olx.co.za.
