Police are investigating a case of identity theft against a young woman who has admitted to creating fake social media accounts “to make friends”.
For three years Ramon Fredericks, 23, from Bonteheuwel, pretended to be 19-year-old Nafeesa Safter, also from Bonteheuwel.
It’s alleged, while pretending to be Nafeesa on BBM and WhatsApp, Ramon had chatted with gangsters and tronkvoels and even arranged meetings with strangers at Nafeesa’s home.
She also allegedly stole Nafeesa’s photos on Facebook and edited them, adding strange men to the pictures.
After a chilling call from a prison inmate last week, Nafeesa, an education student at Northlink College, reported the matter to police.
Ramon, who has a speech impediment and suffers from a heart condition, was arrested on Friday.
On the same day, Nafeesa took to Facebook to explain the situation to people, and says she is now “too scared to show (her) face” out of fear for her safety.
She says she first confronted Ramon about the identity theft a few months ago, after her picture popped up on unknown men’s profiles.
“About two years ago, a boy who I don’t know had me as his profile picture on Facebook,” she explains.
When she questioned him about it, he thought she was “mad”.
“No one wanted to believe it’s not me. I left it at that and didn’t take it further.
“Last year, another person showed me a photoshopped picture of me and another boy with his arm around me,” she says.
Nafeesa managed to get Ramon’s cellphone number and threatened to report her to police.
“She asked to meet so she can explain what’s really going on and why she is doing this,” she says.
“I went to her house and she started crying and said sorry, and if we go to the police she is going to kill herself and that she needs help.”
Nafeesa says she decided not to press charges because she felt sorry for Ramon, but warned her to stop causing trouble.
But months later, Nafeesa saw another altered picture of her, this time with her and a known gangster.
And last Thursday she received a terrifying phone call from a neighbour who is in prison.
“He told me there is a girl using my name and the boys in prison want to come out to meet me,” she says.
She then laid a charge against Ramon.
“I didn’t want her to stay (in police custody) so I told the police not to lock her up. I just want this to end,” she says.
A tearful Ramon admitted to Daily Voice that she created the fake account because she wants to make friends.
“I used her name and face because I don’t like myself,” she sobbed yesterday.
“I saw Nafeesa in my aunt’s road a few years ago, so I searched for her on MXit and chatted with her using another name.
“I stopped for two months after she came (to confront me) the first time, but another guy I was chatting to didn’t want to block me and so I just kept on chatting to him.”
She adds: “I didn’t think things would end up like this. I only wanted to make friends because people are always
making fun of me.”
Police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk confirmed the accused has not been arrested but that a case of theft has been opened.