BETHAL – A con man who fleeces airtime vouchers from kind-hearted community activists, apparently does so from behind the bars of the Bethal Prison.
The story spun by the person is so elaborate and amazing, that people seem to often fall into his snare because they believe he is donating meat to the needy.
He scammed numerous people over the telephone by making them believe he is a farmer whose fridges packed up and he needed to get rid of the bulk of the meat.
The well-spoken Afrikaans man in his 50’s, lured his victims with a promise to donate the meat worth thousands of rands to welfare organisations and charitable institutions.
The caller would ask the person to supply him with the names and cell phone numbers of others who might also be interested in the free meat.
When he directs them to his “farm” (usually between Bethal, Trichardt and Kriel) he also asks the recipient to be as kind as to send him airtime vouchers which he must give to his workers. He would fabricate a story that he could not go to town for this, because he has to wait for the victim.
Once the airtime vouchers are sent – some victims sent vouchers worth R3 000 – the man disappears and the farm cannot be found, because it does not exist.
The con man regularly changes his alias. Those known are Dr Bertie Malan from the farm Vergelegen, Oom Daan Malan and Louis.
Ridge Times reported twice on different incidents where locals had dealings with this caller. Other people were not willing to come forward. The newspaper also discovered that the same scam was pulled off in Limpopo about two years ago which affected an old age home.
Mr Ben Almero from the National Crime Assist (NCA) also received complaints of incidents in this area, as well as in other parts of the country. He confronted the caller who then dropped the phone.
Mr Almero who operates from Bloemfontein, traced the scammer’s cell phone to inside the walls of Bethal Prison.
“I have spoken to the authorities and a case has been opened,” Mr Almero said.
The con man’s true identity cannot yet be revealed pending the investigation. He said there is also the possibility that more than one person is running this scam.
https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/123818/beware-dr-berties-meat-donation-scam/
