Generators going for a steal – alleged fraudster nabbed in Umdloti

An alleged seasoned crook was arrested in Umdloti on Thursday when he tried to sell generators – the properties of local businesses – on social media.

Locals first caught wind of the attempted sale when a video of the four generators located near the petrol garage, narrated in English by a man with a heavy Afrikaans accent, started circulating on WhatsApp groups.

In the video the man, understood to be from Johannesburg, gives detailed specifications of each generator such as make and model, generating capacity, number of hours worked and when last they had been serviced.

The asking price for each ranged from R30 000 to R70 000 and to prove they were all in good nick, the video was taken during loadshedding while they were running.

Suspecting foul play, a vigilant community member alerted Marshall Security. Cooperation between the Durban North Saps crime prevention unit and Marshall Security’s special operations team resulted in a swift arrest.

The man was charged with fraud. Although the identity of the man is known to the Courier, he cannot be named as at the time of writing he had not yet pleaded in court.

Marshall Security said: “The suspect was also connected to a fraud case in Bonnievale, Western Cape where he had deceived a member of the public out of R64 400 in a bogus forklift sale.”

Upon further investigation, the Courier found a complaint lodged against the man’s business on December 4 (three days before the Umdloti arrest) on online review platform “Hellopeter” that seemingly points to the Bonnievale case.

“Johan J” claimed he bought a forklift from this man’s company and paid the transportation fee, upon which he was allegedly ghosted.

Getting cozy with the locals while in Umdloti, the man quickly wormed his way into the community.

Local surf shop owner, Deon Bosman, said the man introduced himself as a debt collector and rented a scooter for which he paid in cash upfront.

“He came across as a nice guy and was everybody’s mate,” said Bosman.

Soon the man started offering Bosman all sorts of surf industry-related stock to sell in his store. Fortunately, Bosman did not take the bait.

In a voice note obtained by the Courier, the man later begs Bosman to help him find alternative accommodation after the establishment he had been staying at refused to let him extend his stay.

“Please Deon, it’s quite urgent, man… loyalty means so much in this world and it’s because of loyalty that a lot of people took advantage of me in life. But ja, some people just don’t know what loyalty is, you know, money is more important to them,” the man said.

But suspecting foul play, Bosman ignored the man’s desperate plea for assistance.

The man eventually found his way to Surf Motel where the arrest took place in the presence of his pregnant partner.

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