Mother and child were tied up in a home invasion orchestrated by individuals posing as prospective tenants after a marketplace advert. 

According to the Community Policing Forum (CPF) sector 4, the house was advertised on Facebook Marketplace, and the intruders came as potential tenants to view the property.

 “Items were stolen from the home, as well as a car. The vehicle was recovered from Cash a Carry next to Mahem garage.” 

Police could not yet confirm the incident or provide more information.

Earlier this year, two brothers, aged 19 and 30, were murdered in Nelson Mandela Bay after responding to a Facebook advertisement. 

Aaron and Kyle Alberts from St Albans, responded to an ad for a TV set on Facebook’s Marketplace but it seemed they were lured under false pretences.

They were robbed and tragically shot to death.

Here are some safety tips to keep in mind when selling or buying on Marketplace: 

• Never share personal information like your address, email, or phone number. Only communicate through Facebook Messenger.
• Think about where the sale will take place. Meet in a public, well-lit area; never give away your home address. Consider a police station. Some even have designated parking spots where security cameras watch marketplace meet-ups.
• Never exchange cash. Facebook Marketplace recommends a secure person-to-person payment method. But even with those, Consumer Reports says you should still take care to prevent payment mistakes.
• You always want to ensure you’re sending money to the right person before you send the full amount. So here’s a tip: send a one-dollar test payment first, then ensure that the person received it.
• For large purchases like a car, pay the old-fashioned way with a cashier’s check — a peace of mind to secure your purchase and safety.
• Another warning about secondhand sales is that Consumer Reports says do not buy a used infant or child car seat. You won’t know if the seat has been involved in a crash. And if the labels and instructions aren’t available, you can’t quickly check for recalls or the seat’s expiration date.

ALSO READ: Tshwane police operation results in multiple arrests across the city

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