Hawks spokesperson, S’fiso Nyakane, says they received a complaint from a local car dealership in Welkom about a fraudulent vehicle finance application for two Toyota Fortuners in the region of about R2.2 million. He adds that the suspects were apprehended when they were set to deliver the vehicles from the dealership. Six cell phones, false identity documents, and temporary drivers’ licenses used in the finance application were also seized. Preliminary investigations indicate that the pair might be linked to syndicates that operate in the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. The investigations continue. Meanwhile, the Station Commander of the Park Road Police Station in Bloemfontein, Mahloko Lento, has issued a stern warning to members of the community to be aware of fraudulent vehicle schemes.

“It is really concerning to have cases like these. We have seen a number of cases where people were defrauded of their money. They will find somebody that sells a particular vehicle on the internet. They are then asked to pay a certain amount of money, but by the time the vehicle has to be delivered, that person (the seller) is nowhere to be found. It is a lot of money and people must stop buying from a website that is not secure, do your research properly,” warns Lento.

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