GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — A 34-year-old man from Graaff -Reinet has appeared in the Rouxville Magistrate’s Court, on charges that he stole money and fooled a number of victims by selling a non-existent camping freezer on Facebook.

Dewald Pienaar allegedly advertised a camping freezer on Facebook, and his first victim from Brackenfell in the Western Cape, responded.

Pienaar then asked that the victim forward him (a copy of his) identity document (ID), which the victim did. Pienaar allegedly took out the names of the victim and put a false name on the ID, and then used the falsified ID to put another advert for the same freezer on Facebook. The initial price of the freezer was R3 000.

Pienaar then allegedly sold it to his second victim who is from Klawer, also in the Western Cape. The same modes operandi was followed and this victim paid the R3 000 via E-Wallet on 1 June. Pienaar then withdrew the cash from an FNB ATM in Graaff-Reinet and vanished without ever handing over a freezer.

Another complainant from Clocolan, in the Free State, also showed interest in the Facebook advertised freezer. He was allegedly also asked to send his ID, and the original name was changed once again. This third victim ended up cancelling the deal after suspecting everything did not add up when he was told that the freezer price had increased to R6 000.

According to the state, the chain of theft was broken when Pienaar least expected it. He once again advertised the item on Facebook, and “sold” it to yet another victim in Rouxville, for R5 500. The complainant also paid for the advertised freezer through E-Wallet and Pienaar withdrew the cash from an ATM in Graaff-Reinet on 2 June. After no freezer was forthcoming, the complainant opened a case of theft at the Rouxville police station.

The investigating officer from Rouxville, Warrant Officer Johannes Engelbrecht, obtained footage from FNB in Graaff-Reinet and the suspect was spotted withdrawing the cash. The footage was sent to Graaff-Reinet detectives and the suspect was immediately identified.

Two Warrant Officers from Rouxville SAPS, Johannes Engelbrecht and Craig Thomas, arrested Pienaar in Graaff-Reinet. The cellphone he used for all the Facebook adverts and payments received was found in his possession, and the clothes he was seen wearing on the footage were recovered in his house.

Pienaar was arrested and charged with theft and counterfeit because of the alleged ID fraud. He appeared briefly in the Rouxville Magistrate’s Court on 27 July and was granted bail of R2 000 on 3 August. The case was postponed until 6 November.

Cases of perjury relating to the faking of identity documents were also opened against Pienaar in Brackenfell and Klawer.

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