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Cape Town - He's suave, well-manicured, wears a smart black suit, carries a laptop bag and manages to swindle unsuspecting, flight-weary travellers out of R20 notes in the parking lot at OR Tambo.
That's how Ndumiso Ngcobo describes a seemingly infamous con artist who roams around the Johannesburg airport in the opening paragraphs of a recent column on the Rand Daily Mail.
Intrigued by Ngcobo's story, we asked our readers whether they had ever had a personal run-in with this guy, and boy! Did we get a flood of responses?
Not only is there this guy lurking around the parking lot, but as one reader suggests, OR Tambo seems to be a haven for all sorts of hustlers.
Check out these hair-raising stories sent in by readers, starting with a nice breakdown of three diffirent types of airport swindler, by Zaeem Khan.
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Outside the airport
Zaeem Khan - I have met at least 3.
1. The International
After a long flight, this guy did not take no for an answer. Pushes your trolley to wherever you need to go and then expects a fee in what ever currency you have. I suggest you carry zim dollars for this one.
2. The Honest Criminal
No judgement here. His story is that he just got out of jail in cpt and was stuck at the airport. Needed money to get back home. His honesty will bring a tear to your eye and make you feel like a blithering idiot five minutes after he has left. Dont fall for it. Offer him a smoke instead.
3. The Well Dressed
This guy by far had it all planned out. Takes 'a call' close by, apparently shouting at someone to 'pay back his money' (not that guy) . Then paces around while you watch. At this point he has you! Walks over and gives you a story about how his wife is alone at home and his sister had forgotten to pay him back before she boarded her flight. He even has an sms to corroborate his story. Dressed well, speaks well and with his story, even houdini himself would be duped.
I met these individuals on a return trip in December. Maybe all their stories check out. But I have my doubts. Hindsight is 20-20 after all!
Be alert. ORT seems like a haven for the hustler.
Patrick Mohie - Must be the same guy, last August at OR Thambo. He used exactly same line. He had parked his car and realized too late that he had left his wallet at home. Can't remember how much exactly he needed, but I gave him anyway even though I suspected he was a scammer.
Deon Coetzee - I stay at the City Lodge Airport Hotel on a regular basis, and have been approached by him twice on consecutive nights when walking from the Airport past the parking. Have told him to get lost. I see him there often.
He is well dressed with a tie, has a gap between his front teeth, very polite.
Mark Zlotnick - The OR Tambourine Scammed caught me for R200. I always thought I was streetwise. He told me he left his wallet with his ticket in his mom's bag by mistake and she who had flown off mistakenly with it. Took my details in his phone and said he would come "pay back the money". I was properly done. Good story dude
Bets van Schalkwyk - I had been approached by this R20 scammer however I just don't give to anybody money...
Gregory Nikitas - I was scammed properly. My guy, who called himself Chester, stopped me as I was driving to the boom, and pointed to "his" Land Rover and told me he had just dropped someone off and left his wallet at work and had lost his ticket and generous me gave R150. He said he would EFT me when he gets back to work. The funny part is I told him to miss call my phone, which he did while I was waiting there. So I have his phone number if anyone has connections for the actual use of RICA :)
Danie - There is not one, but a few persons running NG the same scam just outside the international arrivals. Last year I flew in an out of South Africa weekly, and virtually every week I was approached by someone (Often the same person) who did not have parking money
Cavin Johnson - Yes we have been by a whole family, who come to your car and ask for parking money, but the father and wife and children are so well trained that they all take up very good positions in the parking lot for you to see them all and you feel sorry immediately and of course you part with your R60.00 no problem. It is a Afrikaans family that did this to me.
Ruan Lundt - Similar incident happened to me about a year ago. Guy came up to me just after I dropped my parents at OR Tambo, afrikaans guy with a springbok jersey claiming he needs money to get back to Louis Trichardt with a very soppy story and I fell for it. Feeling sorry for the guy I gave him R50. A few months later the same guy told the same story to my dad and he also gave him some money. Funny enough a week or so after that he came to me again but disappeared quickly when I recognised him and told him my thoughts on his little scam. Watch out for this oak.
Cathy Giese Ingram - Was busy paying my parking there and a gentleman, not well dressed, came with this story - he gave a Rand amount. I just said "I'm busy" - being very aware of ATM's where they try and distract you, though my husband was with me. When I was done I turned and asked him how much he needed, thinking I would help him. He fumbled with the change in his hand and mentioned an amount quite a number of Rand more than the original. That's when I realised he was scamming and walked away. Sadly I wished I'd called security.
Cathvr – Yes. I have also been scammed by a Person with lot more Money I also Phoned the Airport and request that they up grade security Anybody can go into the Airport and swindle you. If I can only Catch him
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Inside the Airport
Smit Engelbrecht - At OR Tambo airport my wife and I went to the self check in port. There was a guy standing there with the correct dress code for the airport, and very helpful. Asked our passports and started working on the check in computer.
The next moment he asked us to follow him past the economy class check in to the business class check in, and went straight to a lady at the check in. He then turned around and said that she was going to upgrade us, and all was arranged. He also demanded R500 in cash immediately. He was very persistent.
I fortunately refused to pay him and a security guard removed him. Our seats were booked as it should have been, and afterwards the security guard warned us against him, stating that he didn't even work there. He works on a person’s weakness thinking that a cheap upgrade is in line.
Beware, he is super smooth and quick.
Erik Snyman - I have not been targeted by that guy but had a similar situation when flying to Australia from Johannesburg International. There are people pretending to be airport staff who are there to help you. They target you if the economy class lines are very full. They take you out of the line and let you check in at business class. I suspect some of the airport staff does work with them.
I taught it was a good deed of the guy. As i was walking to go through the terminal that same guy and another friend of his tried to corner me to try and get money out of me for their good deed. Unfortunately for them i am local and told them to leave. They target international tourists because they were showing me money from the US and taught my English was bad.
Be aware of them they might take a purse of a person that is not so cautious as they work in pairs.
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Other scammers
Richardson Mzaidume - I know those types they are not very smart. I met a low grade of this scum at Maponya Mall few years back. He told me he was supposed to attend funeral in Meadowlands and somehow got left behind by family when they left that morning. Of course now, he was short of cash to go there. I gave him R15 and he assured that the amount I gave him would be more than enough. Without fail, I went to Maponya Mall the very next weekend I saw my friend from last weekend telling me the same stupid Meadowlands funeral story. Of course he couldn't remember me but crucially I still remembered him well. That's when I gave him a piece of my mind and he promptly disappeared into thin air.
Mdanese Charles - One day I was shopping at Arcadia Pretoria, when I was going to my car, I realise that I locked the keys inside my car so as I was busy trying to open my car there comes a guy and asked me what happened I then tell him what happened and I've already called my wife to bring me spare keys he said ok it's fine sir. Then he started with his problems and says "sir I just lost my wallet and now am stuck, I have to catch a taxi to Mamelodi but I don't have money and if you don't believe me you can pay for me at the taxi. So I fell sorry for him the next day I bump with him again. I chased him like a thief.
Mageba - This guy in MP driving a rather nice car parks near a fuel station. He stopped me to tell me he'd lost his wallet and cards and run out of fuel and if I could just buy his expensive watch for a few hundred rand he would be able to drive back home to Joburg. I felt pity for him but had no money. Later the same day I meet him him again at a fuel station in another town further down away from Joburg and he tells me the same story! Turns out he's selling watches this way! Others wait by the road side to sell their 'valuable wedding rings' to get money 'for fuel to drive back home' or to 'fix a broken down car'
Annalisa Amiradakis - I recently took the London rd turnoff onto the highway where a woman with a teenager looked desperate trying to get some one to help with her car. She seemed genuinely decent. She noted she ran out of petrol and left wallet back at work. She asked for money for petrol indicating I could then follow her to work to get money. I didn't have time so gave her 100 the only note I had and suggested she call me back and could do a EFT. Obviously never heard from her again and saw her again on side of road not too long ago.
It's sad when you trust people like this because at some point someone will genuinely be in that position but no one will help them.
