A 31-year-old woman from Kempton Park, Johannesburg, is still in shock after falling victim to a scam in Winterveld, Tshwane, on Friday, 8 November. She had seen an advertisement on Facebook Marketplace for an ice-making machine priced at R11,000—far below the typical R35,000 cost for a new one—and engaged in conversation with the seller over WhatsApp for nearly two weeks. Unaware she was being targeted by scammers, she agreed to meet the man in person, bringing along her male helper for safety.
When they arrived at the meeting spot at around 10:30 a.m., the situation quickly turned dangerous. A 19-year-old man, who claimed his father was fetching a child from school, greeted them. Within minutes, four armed men ambushed them, forcing them into the back seat of their car. They were driven for 15 minutes before being dumped in a bush near Odi Cemetery, where they were robbed.
The thieves took several valuable items from the woman, including two phones, a T-shirt, a jacket, and a new dress she had bought that day. They also swiped her bank and shopping cards, along with R300 in cash, sending themselves an e-wallet transfer of R2,000. Later, they used her accounts to buy airtime, vouchers, and send themselves an additional R12,000 via e-wallet.
Although the woman was not physically hijacked, the emotional toll of losing both her belongings and the money she had set aside for Christmas has left her devastated. She is now urging others to exercise caution when using Facebook Marketplace, especially in areas like Winterveld. She recommends meeting sellers at a police station to avoid falling victim to similar scams.
“This has been a huge setback for me,” she said, reflecting on the loss. “I had big plans to start a business in Nhlazatshe, Mpumalanga, but now I’ve lost everything I was saving for. Facebook Marketplace in Winterveld doesn’t exist, and I want others to be aware of these dangers.”
