Online dating users are the latest targets of organised crime in South Africa
On Thursday on Breakfast with Martin Bester, the team spoke to 'Hendrik', a recent victim of a dating app crime syndicate.
In an exclusive interview with Breakfast with Martin Bester, 'Hendrik' - not his real name - shared his horrifying story of how he fell victim to theft and kidnapping after using an online dating app.
According to 'Hendrik', he met someone on an online dating app and decided to go to their house after being invited.
"When I finally arrived at his house, there were two guys, which I found weird, but I didn't think too much about," he said.
EXCLUSIVE: SA's human lie detector teaches people how to spot a lie
Moments later, two other men arrived and overpowered him before tying him up and stripping him naked.
Hendrik told Martin Bester that he believes this is a well-rehearsed gang act.
"What they do is tie you up and take your phone, open it and go to your banking app. They then use e-wallet to transfer money. If you don't have enough, they force you to ask family members."
READ: Weltevredenpark residents left without power for 11 days
The criminals took R13,000 and his phone.
"This a well-oiled machine. It's a syndicate. I asked myself why didn't I see this."
Some things to look out for could be:
- When a new person suddenly "pops up" in your area on the dating app.
- The criminals are often over-eager.
- They would immediately want to talk on WhatsApp.
Tune in to the 'Breakfast with Martin Bester', weekdays from 06:00 - 09:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.