A local businessman is fuming after being paid for a transaction with a large sum of cash notes, which have proven to be fake.
What made the resident who lives on Kathmandu Str more furious is that he trusted the customer who came to his work place in Erasmia, as the customer was ‘white’ and he did not expect a white man to be dishonest. The unknown white man bought 4 wheels from 38 year old Felix Mutovo who owns the Chill Pot Car Wash at Shezan Shopping Centre on Grey Street in Erasmia. Felix told the Laudium Sun, “Last week Wednesday (Oct 2) at around two o clock while I was on duty, a white man came and enquired from me whose Corolla 1.6 was parked in the parking area. After telling him that it was mine, the man told me that he wanted to buy my car. I was surprised as my car is old and not invery good condition. But then the white man explained to me that he had a hobby of buying old cars and restoring them and that is why he was interested in buying my car, so I told him that I would sell my car to him for R12 000 and even told him that the car was not in a very good condition and I was having a problem with the starter. So the white man told me that he would pay me R10 000 cash for the car as is and I then agreed. He told me that he would get the cash and see me the following week to fetch the car and then he left. This past Monday, (Oct 7) at around one o clock during the day the white man came with a Malawian man travelling in a Hyundai to my work place. The Malawian man went around my car, checking it and then when he tried to start it, it failed to start because of the starter problems. The white man then told me that he was no longer interested in buying my car as it had a problem. He then told me that he was interested in buying the tyres of my car as they were in good condition. I agreed to sell him the tyres for R3000 and the white man agreed.
The white man told me he is coming back with my money. After a while when he came back he gave me the R3000 in cash. I did not check or count the money, because I trusted the white man, so I just put the money in my pocket and started to strip the tyres off my car. After receiving the tyres, the white man drove off. Later that afternoon, I went to Spar in Erasmia to buy some groceries for my wife and three children. After choosing the groceries from the shelves, I went to the cashier to pay but when I gave her the money, she just felt it and told me that the money was fake and that she could not accept it. I was surprised and immediately took the money from her hand to check for myself and that is when I realized that the money was indeed fake. I checked the remaining money that was in my pocket and all of it was fake. I could not believe that I was caught by the white man whom I trusted. I was so embarrassed and explained to the cashier that I had just received the money from a customer. The cashier then advised me to go to the police station and report the matter,” Felix said. He added that he opened a case of fraud and the fake money was taken by the police as evidence. Felix added, “I never thought this white man would scam me. My tyres were a good make, it was Dunlop. I trusted him because he looked like a legitimate businessman who specialises in buying old cars. I don’t know the white man and do not have his details, but I can point him out should I see him again. I urge the residents of Laudium and Erasmia to be vigilant if someone wants to buy something from you with cash. Please check the money whether it’s real money or fake as nowadays there are many crooks around. I thank God I didn’t sell my car to him maybe he was going to pay the whole amount with fake money. I am worried as now I have to fork out money to replace the tyres which I spent a fortune to buy,” Felix lamented.
*Felix Mutovo of Kathmandu Street in Laudium has opened a case of fraud after he was paid R3k with fake money.*