Elderly woman robbed by “friendly” couple

An 85-year-old woman warned locals to beware of a “friendly” couple that targets unsuspecting residents.

Pam Prowse, who lives in a block of flats in Silverton, was robbed of valuables worth over R4 000 by a couple that pretended to be new neighbours who had moved into an empty flat just next door.

Prowse said the couple knocked at her door and told her that they were getting to know the neighbours.

Unsuspecting, she let them in and offered them some tea.

“They seemed very friendly, they looked very nice. So I let them in. I shouldn’t have,” she said.

“As they came in I told them to sit down, the lady asked to use the toilet. It must have been at that moment that she went through my bedroom.

“The man kept me talking in the sitting room.

“I didn’t hear anything because he was talking to me,” she recounted.

Unaware that she had been robbed, Prowse let the pair out a few minutes after the woman returned from the bathroom.

Only a few days later, when she wanted to wear a perfume that her daughter had bought her, she realised that some of her valuables were missing.

“Only the perfume box was left and the bottle was missing. I couldn’t have put it in a different box surely.

“As days went by, I realised other stuff was also missing. I found that some items including two pendants were gone, one of which was my grandmother’s with a little green stone in it. And her gold watch with her initials on the back.”

Prowse said she suspected that criminals were targeting complexes that had vacant houses or flats, then pretended to either be viewing or living in the place to gain the trust of the neighbours.

Shortly after her incident, she said she has heard of four different people who went through the same experience.

“A friend of mine in Garsfontein told me that the same had happened to her. There was a house for sale next to hers and she said they wanted to come in and see her place and she let them in.

“The man said he wanted to see the garden and the woman said she wanted to use the toilet. That’s their modus operand.

“I don’t think my experience is an isolated incident.”

The woman said she was grateful that nothing happened to her.

“I feel so violated, it’s a horrible feeling,” she said.

She warned others to be vigilant and not to let any unknown people into their homes.

Silverton police spokesperson Isaac Mculu said police were informed about the incidents and would like to warn members of the community against allowing strangers into their homes.

Mculu urged the community to report any suspicious people or vehicles to their nearest police station.

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