High schoolers arrested for attempted robbery at FB marketplace scam hotspot

Six high schoolers lured the victim to Philippi and tried to rob him. Police found 15 conversations with FB Marketplace users on their phones.

Oct 13, 2022 - 16:54
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High schoolers arrested for attempted robbery at FB marketplace scam hotspot

The Cape Town police thwarted an attempted robbery in Browns Farm, Philippi on Wednesday, 12 October. The high schoolers allegedly lured the victim to the area by pretending to be a customer on Facebook Marketplace.

HIGH SCHOOLERS ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

The victim was delivering an item ordered on Facebook Marketplace to Sagolota Street in Browns Farm when he was approached by six boys – aged between 15 and 17 – who stoned his vehicle in an attempt to rob him.

“Police officers witnessed the ordeal and arrested the suspects and confiscated their cellular telephones. The suspects had lured the victim to the said location, under the guise of being potential customers,” said South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala.

On the boys’ cellphones, the police found 15 more conversations with victims that the suspects were trying to lure from Facebook Marketplace.

The suspects are expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court once charged.

In September, SAPS warned members of the public to be cautious when doing deals via the social media platform after 51-year-old Ben Tuzee was stabbed to death in Philippi after the suspects lured him there and hijacked his vehicle.

Facebook Marketplace Cape Town restaurant hijacking
Ben Tuzee died while protecting his niece from hijackers in Philippi – Image: Facebook.

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