A message from Ward 10 councillor Rick Crouch.
A man was arrested by Hillcrest SAPS over the weekend on information from a resident who had fallen prey to his alleged property scam.
“The investigating officer is a very good fraud investigator, Constable Msondo and any victims of Marc Du Plooy should call Cont Msondo and open a case,” says Councillor Rick Crouch. “There are many, many victims. I applaud Hillcrest SAPS for moving so quickly on this fraudster. We have to now try and keep him off the streets.”
Marc Du Plooy is believed to have been posing as an Estate Agent and scamming unsuspecting people wanting to rent a house. He is not a registered or licensed Estate Agent. His modus operandi is thought to be as follows:
He lists a legitimate house for rent using Gumtree.co.za, property.brick7.co.za as well as other internet sites. He presents a good deal with reduced rent and usually extras such as garden / pool service and DsTV included. He takes an “admin fee” and as much of the deposit as he can, and then disappears.
The victims in this scam are mainly the prospective renters but the property owner is also a victim.
“He has been scamming people in the Durban area for a number of years and it is about time we put a stop to it,” says Councillor Crouch.
Anyone who has been scammed in this way, contact Rick Crouch on 073 418 6996 or by email on councillor@ward10.co.za.
For more info on renting property, click here.
3 Comments
Excellent news. This con artist managed to get into my house and refused to ever pay me a cent. I hope they lock him away where he deserves to be.
I am so glad that this person was caught. The legitimate property professionals are all trying to up their qualifications and this really once again puts a bad name to the industry. Please ensure that any prospective tenant or landlord asks to see the current fidelity certificate (there is a tear off part that most agents will have in their possession, and is almost the size of a driver’s licence.)
To know what he looks like: http://www.ward10.co.za/marcduplooy.html