Police warn of bogus prophets
The “prophets” would convince their victims to hand over any valuable property and even money while go buy things for the ritual. When the person returns, the prophet is nowhere to be found.
Gauteng police have called on the communities to be vigilant of bogus prophets.
Several cases of theft under false pretences have been opened in a number of police stations across the province.
The suspects usually pose as prophets and mainly target students.
“They will stop their victim and start prophesying to them.
“In one of the cases, the victim was lured into bringing her laptop and those of her roommates together with her cellphone. She was then transported to a local supermarket where she was required to buy salt and water,” said police spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele.
“Upon returning from the store, the fake prophet was nowhere to be found.”
Soshanguve police in the past also raised concern over the increase of bogus prophets.
“They approach victims and tell them about their problems. They can say to their target that they are sick or cursed to gain their trust. Sometimes, they can tell them about a sick family member or whatever that is happening in their family members’ lives,” Constable Portia Sebone said.
The “prophets” would then convince their victims to hand over any valuable property and even money and they would tell their victims to go and buy certain items that can be used for rituals to cast away bad luck and also curses.
Once the victim returns with those items, the prophet is nowhere to be found.
Police have advised the public to take heed of the following safety tips so to avoid becoming victims:
– Do not stop for any strangers in the streets, let alone listen to them, no matter how true what they say may sound.
– Do not take or listen to any spiritual advice from strangers.
– Genuine prophets will never request your personal belongings on the streets or money.
The public is urged to report these crimes to their nearest police station or drop tip-offs on MySAPSApp which can be accessed on any smartphone.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
