Three scammers appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after they were caught in an undercover sting operation for conning a 62-year-old ouma out of R7000.
The three Zimbabwean men, aged between 37 and 43, saw their gat in Grassy Park when wakker cops pounced on them on Tuesday after the clever ouma laid a trap for them.
The 62-year-old creché owner from Fairways, who asked not to be named, says she contacted Santos Nutec Homes after seeing an advertisement on Facebook.
She runs a creché in her garage and wanted to add the Nutec structure to expand it.
“I never just gave them money,” she says. “I met with them twice and they told me the job would cost R10 000.”
She says the workmen arrived on Friday and she gave them R7000 to buy “equipment” and to start the ground work which included the removal of fruit trees.
“Four workers were left here. The other guys said they needed to collect the equipment and took the money and left, never to be seen again.”
CAUGHT OUT: The three 'skelme Nutec builders'
Grassy Park station commander Colonel Dawood Laing says it was later discovered that the four men had been picked up along the road and were unaware of the fraudulent plan.
The angry ouma says the company owner blocked her number so she got her granddaughter to call them, and pretend to be a customer.
“They agreed to come put a Wendy house up in Lotus River. In the meantime, I went to Grassy Park police station and told them I had set a trap and they must come.”
On Tuesday, the three skelms arrived in Lotus River, but got a skrik when they were met by Captain Ashley Petersen and his team.
PROBE: Ashley Petersen
The scammers had quoted the granddaughter R9000 for the Wendy house and told her she needed to pay a 60% deposit on arrival.
But when cops searched their bakkie, they found no Wendy house materials.
The scammers’ cellphones were seized and they were arrested, while the driver of the bakkie fled.
The vehicle was later found abandoned in Buck Road.
FLEE: The abandoned bakkie was found in Buck Road
Laing says he was still awaiting the docket back from court.
Meanwhile the ouma says she has fallen on hard times after losing the R7000.
“I am really desperate because this was my pension money that I had saved, but I leave it in the Lord’s hands,” she says.