Facebook Marketplace ‘scammer’ nabbed
The vehicle was recovered and booked in at Pretoria West Vehicle Crime Investigation Units (VCIU).
Lyttelton police arrested a suspect on Thursday, May 16 in connection with a Facebook Marketplace scam to steal cars from unsuspecting victims.
According to police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk, the search for the suspect started when the car owner reported a scam on Facebook Marketplace, where a buyer had reversed a payment for a sold vehicle.
“The same vehicle, with distinctive markings, was later spotted for sale online with different licence plates,” said Van Dyk.
He said the victim working together with the police set up a meeting with the new seller of the car.
Van Dyk said this led to the recovery of the stolen red Ford Figo from a location in Pretoria.
“The vehicle was found to have a case number linked to Rietgat SAPS,” he said.
“The suspect was arrested and detained at Lyttelton SAPS, and the vehicle was booked in at Pretoria West Vehicle Crime Investigation Units (VCIU).”
He said currently the investigation is underway and the suspect is expected to appear in court shortly.
“We are pleased with the swift and effective collaboration between our teams, which led to the successful recovery of the stolen vehicle and the arrest of the suspect,” he said.
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