‘Conmen’ attempt to swindle wrong man

A pair of “con artists” were arrested after allegedly trying to pull the same scam on the same man a second time.

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Durban - A pair of “con artists” were put behind bars after allegedly trying to pull the same scam on the same man for a second time.

Charles Maphosa and Vusi Bhekithemba Mageza - both of Reservoir Hills - were arrested last month on charges of fraud after allegedly trying to pass off pieces of coloured glass as precious stones and selling them for R85 000.

But the man they tried to sell the stones to claims the same pair swindled him out of R700 000, three years ago.

He opened a case in 2013, the Durban Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday, but he did not know where the men lived and they were never caught.

Until now, that is.

According to the State, it was unclear whether Maphosa and Mageza recognised their “victim” from before, but he recognised them and alerted police who, with help from a private investigator, arrested them. Other alleged victims had also identified the men in an identity parade, the court heard, suggesting they could be linked to more cases.

They were in court on Monday to apply for bail, which was unopposed by the State.

Magistrate Vanitha Armu set bail at R5 000 each and was unmoved by complaints from the men that this was too much.

“The court must consider the seriousness of the crime,” Armu said.

Private investigator Sean Pierce said the men were allegedly part of a syndicate operating countrywide.

“There are about three or four groups in Durban, one in Joburg, one in Pretoria and one in Cape Town,” Pierce said.

The “conmen” worked in teams, with an “initiator”, a “seller” and a “jeweller”, Pierce said.

Apparently, the initiator would approach the victim with a business opportunity and set up a meeting, during which he would say that he had raw tanzanite to sell but needed a local partner.

He would take the victim to a “jeweller”, who was actually in on the scam, to have the stones evaluated and convince him to put up the money, take the stones and sell them to the jeweller to collect the profit.

The “conmen” would then make off with the victim’s cash and leave him with the worthless stones.

The court case was on Monday adjourned for further investigation.

Daily News