Be alert: Know who is knocking at your gate or door
There have been several incidents in Boksburg where domestic workers open gates to strangers posing as real estate agents, police officers or municipal workers. Then after a few minutes, it becomes clear that there is foul play.
Recently, a woman posed as an estate agent and robbed a house in Witfield with the help of two accomplices who posed as interested buyers.
On March 6, at around 11.50am, a white Volkswagen stopped at a house in Witfield. The three women knocked on the door while the male driver waited in the car.
The house sported several for sales signs and one of the women provided the domestic worker with the home owner’s cell phone number and email address, claiming to be an estate agent who had just spoken to the homeowner on the phone.
The ‘estate agent’ assured the domestic worker that she had received permission from the homeowner to show the other two ‘interested buyers’ around the house.
Once inside, the ‘estate agent’ distracted the domestic worker, who showed her around and even took her outside to see the granny flat in the back yard.
At the same time, the ‘perspective buyers’ walked through the house and placed anything they could in their bags, and stuffed their pants and blouses with valuables.
In just 15 minutes belongings to the value of about R50 000 were stolen. The stolen goods included jewellery, glasses, iPad, knives, perfume, make-up, linen, clothing and accessories.
According to the homeowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, a similar incident occurred at the house in November last year, when a female posed as an estate agent from Roodepoort.
The woman approached the homeowner’s husband and said she wanted to list the house; her husband advised the supposed estate agent to phone his wife, who was dealing with the sale of the house.
He found the woman’s behaviour suspicious and upon investigation found out that her credentials were phoney.
“With this latest incident, the insurance does not want to pay out as it was not a forced entry,” said the homeowner.
“We cannot trust anyone to come into our houses. My domestic worker knows that she is not allowed to open the gate for anyone except my sister and knows that she was supposed to phone me immediately.”
The homeowner did, however, mention that she and her husband are grateful the domestic worker’s safety was not compromised.
“It could’ve been a lot worse; they could have raped or killed her.”
According to the domestic worker, the women were dressed neatly and seemed self-assured. The fact that they had the homeowner’s number and email address, set the domestic worker’s suspicion aside.
“They seemed bulky when they left. I did not realise they had stuffed their clothes with my employers’ belongings,” said the domestic worker
“After they left, I saw the watch on the table was gone. When I walked through the house, I noticed that a lot of things had disappeared,” said the domestic worker.
“I am afraid to open the gate now.”
The homeowner is also worried about her family and the domestic worker’s safety. “I don’t know if they took pictures of things in the house and where they can enter.”
“They can always come back because they know what we have inside.”
The incident has been reported to the Boksburg North SAPS. An investigation is underway.
- Credibility
These incidents have had a negative influence on the credibility of real estate agents of the community. According to Ursula Spennato, principal dealer of GPR Properties, many agents have to work in teams due to the security breaches they face.
“Criminals attempt to use the industry to get access to homes and valuables. Unfortunately, we as agents are not on victims of crime but so too are our sellers,” said Spennato.
According to Spennato, extra security measures have been implemented by the RNS multiple listing groups of the East Rand, whereby all their agents must wear an RNS identified lanyard and have with them their Estate Agents Affairs Board (EAAB) licence.
“This is a way of ensuring the safety of the clients and their properties and unscrupulous perpetrators acting as agents.
“We urge all sellers to ensure they request every agent’s EAAB licence before giving them access to their homes,” said Spennato.
“Criminals could view the property and split up to distract the agent or seller, thereby allowing the other perpetrators to help themselves to the owner’s valuables,”
According to Spennato, perpetrators leave a fictitious phone number while acting like a potential buyer. Spennato explained there were many incidents in Boksburg where criminals act as if they are agents and they try to access properties.
- Safety precautions
Capt Juanita Coetzer, the communications officer at the Boksburg North SAPS, urges the community of Boksburg to be more careful and to make sure they take the necessary safety precautions.
Coetzer has provided the following safety tips for homeowners:
- Educate domestic and garden workers about safety around the house and tell them not to open for any strangers.
- Make sure that the domestic worker or house occupants are informed if someone will be visiting your house during your absence.
- Provide domestic workers with descriptions and names of visitors. If an unknown visitor arrives at the house, the owner must be phoned immediately.
- Educate domestic workers about the police uniform. Explain what it looks like and what their identification badges or papers look like, so they do not open the gates for people who are not real police officers.
- If you have CCTV footage of an incident, it is vital to give it to the SAPS when you give a statement.
- Keep your doors and windows locked, especially at night.
- Keep in touch with neighbours so that you can be on the lookout for any suspicious activities in the area.
- Create a WhatsApp group for the street/block/complex.
- Close blinds/curtains in the evenings.
- Leave emergency numbers accessible to domestic workers and house occupants.
- Emergency numbers: SAPS emergency number 10111. SAPS Crime Stop 08600 10111. Crime Stop SMS Line 3211.
“It is important to phone 10111 in the case of an emergency as all SAPS units in the East Rand will be informed and the nearest available officers will assist. If you phone a specific police station during an emergency, the units available to assist will be limited,” said Coetzer.
