Yesterday afternoon, at approximately 17h00, in a collaborative effort involving our Special Operations Team, Umdloti Smart Village, and the Durban North SAPS Crime Prevention Unit, a well-known scammer/fraudster was arrested in Umdloti. This individual was apprehended after attempting to defraud residents in the area, primarily through an online platform by selling items he did not own. His modus operandi involved soliciting deposits or transportation fees for large industrial equipment such as forklifts and big generators, which he never actually possessed.
The arrest occurred as he was caught trying to defraud someone for a generator in Umdloti. Our Special Operations Team, together with the Durban North SAPS Crime Prevention Unit, responded swiftly to apprehend the suspect.
Further investigations revealed that the suspect was also connected to a fraud case in Bonnievale, Western Cape, where he had deceived a member of the public out of R64,400 in a bogus forklift sale.
The suspect has been taken into custody at Durban North SAPS for further investigation and processing. He is also expected to be linked to the aforementioned fraud case in Bonnievale, Western Cape.
To avoid falling victim to fraud, it’s crucial to conduct transactions only with legitimate, verified companies and exercise caution when dealing with individuals or entities online.
