It started out as a hoax, but now it appears mense are taking an “advert” for an organ smuggling scam seriously.
A man has called the Daily Voice newspaper offering to sell his own friend’s organs - without the friend’s knowledge.
The man, who cannot be identified as police are investigating the matter, was responding to a fake internet site for the South African medical thriller, Bypass, which premiered in May.
The man, who says he is from Malawi, said he read about the organ selling on the Daily Voice’s website.
OUTRAGE: The 'advert' rubbed mense up the wrong way but it was only a movie promo
He called the newspaper on Thursday, saying he wanted to sell his friend.
“You can meet me anytime but let me see on Tuesday,” he said.
“We work together and he is 24, and he has no children, he is healthy and is not sick.
“‘You can take everything what you want, I just want the money.
“I was checking on the internet, heart is R1.5 [million] and the kidney, R3.5 [million].
“You can take the whole of him.”
Asked why he wanted to sell his buddy, he replied: “Life is too hard to survive without money and people are doing these things, selling someone.
“I don’t want him to know and then if I hand him to you, your people, then I will go back home in Malawi.
“I am living in KwaZulu-Natal but I am from Malawi.”
The Daily Voice has since made contact with the police’s Captain FC van Wyk who asked that all information about the caller be forwarded to them.
In April, people reacted with outrage after a woman was spotted distributing pamphlets in Durbanville for the “New Day Clinic”.
The pamphlet claimed you could buy a kidney for R3.5m, while a patch of skin would set you back R140 per square centimetre.
It then turned out that the whole thing was a hoax to promote a new film, Bypass, starring Nigerian-born Hollywood actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim, the gorgeous Natalie Bekker, and newcomer, nine-year-old Joel Brown vannie Atlantis.
By last night, the New Day Clinic website was still active.
Shannon Simons of Eclipse Public Relations representing Bypass said they would only be able to comment once she has liaised with their client today.