Residents of Kempton Park are being warned about an increase in scam-related hijackings. These criminals often pretend to be women seeking innocent help to lure their victims.
South African actress Nomsa Buthelezi Shezi said she has been affected by this crime trend. She was targeted after receiving a call for a wedding decoration job, and the person she recommended to take on the work was subsequently hijacked.
“She said she was getting married next month and she wants a person who decorates, and I recommended my friend because I knew she was good at her work, just to help her get a job,” the actress explained.
However, the situation took a sinister turn when the supposed ‘caller’ and ‘bride’ were revealed to be hijackers. The actress’s friend was then violently hijacked after making contact with them.
Shezi was alerted to the hijacking when her friend secretly called her, screaming and begging for her life, pleading to be released. The kidnappers were shouting at her, demanding that she cooperate.
When she reported the case, she found the police officers unhelpful and unfriendly, despite her detailed explanation of the events. She recalled, “I told the constable, please track this number, and it’s ringing when I track it, it says it’s at Kempton Park”.
She also noted the contradictory information from her tracking app: “She said her name was Noluthando, but the Truecaller says Shepherd.”
During the live video, she desperately pleaded for help to find her friend, and the stream was subsequently shared across social media platforms.
The most recent update indicates that her friend’s family members requested she remove the post claiming the friend had been found. However, they provided no concrete evidence to substantiate this claim. Fans are still worried that this might also be a scam.
Others have also confirmed in the comments that these scams occur occasionally in Kempton Park.
Mahlatse Seripa said, “Type of Scam is popular around Midrand, Tembisa & Kempton Park. My uncle’s wife was once a victim and they took her phone. Fortunately they didn’t see her colleague’s other cellphone, and they were messaging her contacts asking for money …. Fortunately she managed to alert my uncle.”
User @lifeofnilo commented, “I know this scam. They randomly check your listed business on Google and request a service telling you their original provider has gone awol. Apart from hotels/airports/airlines. Any random service request in Kempton Park or surrounding areas without a referral is.”
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