Gambling Gambit: Cape Town Man Nabbed for Staging Fake Kidnapping in Shocking Extortion Plot
A man from Cape Town has been apprehended for orchestrating a false kidnapping, allegedly driven by a desire for funds to support his gambling habits. Police spokesperson Capt Frederick van Wyk reported that the 25-year-old individual departed from his family home in the Betterlife section of Philippi East on January 2, carrying the rent money meant for payment into a Shoprite account.
ALSO READ: South African Student Accused Of Murdering Teacher, Admits To Wearing Victim’s Clothes
Later that day, his brother, who had been at work, discovered a ransom demand upon switching on his phone at 6 pm. The message claimed that the brother had been kidnapped, and the suspects were demanding a ransom between R4,000 and R5,000 for his safe return. The captors mentioned taking the rent money and the captive’s cellphone and claimed to be in the Khayelitsha area.
ALSO READ: Black Coffee Endures Significant Injuries During Emergency Landing
Subsequently, the complainant’s wife received a message from a different number, instructing her to deposit the requested amount. The ransom demand was later increased to R15,000. On January 9, the family raised the funds and paid via e-wallet.
The following afternoon, the alleged “captive” returned home and purportedly confessed that he and a friend had staged the kidnapping to extort money from his family. According to Van Wyk, he admitted to using the rent money for gambling. The man is set to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Friday.