Fraudster rents house for cash deposits

This after a man scammed another of R7 600 by pretending to be renting a house in Pretoria, Rekord Moot reported.

According to Johan van Rensburg, the victim gave the alleged fraudster a deposit on a house he had wanted to rent.

“This man’s son goes to the same school as my sister-in-law’s child. I was sceptical of giving him the deposit money at first, but he convinced me that I can trust him,” said Van Rensburg.

It is believed the man has scammed other people before.

“The man’s sister-in-law told us it is not the first time he scammed someone, as there are other people he has scammed,” said van Rensburg who opened a case of fraud against the man.

Police said people should be aware of house scams, as several such cases have been reported to them.

“We do have cases like this. We investigate the case before we can arrest the suspect,” said Hercules police spokesperson Captain Bonginkosi Msimango.

“We have to connect the suspect to the crime. If we arrest anyone without connecting them with a crime, the case will be withdrawn in court.”

Msimango said in such incidents, the police open a case of fraud or theft by false pretences.

Last year, a 37-year-old man was arrested for theft by false pretences and robbery in Isipingo, near Durban.

The man, who was one of the most wanted by police, was arrested at Reunion Beach.

His arrest was a result of a joint operation by various police units.

– Caxton News Service