A recent posting on Facebook by a woman narrating how her iPhone 7 was stolen by an interested “buyer” has gone viral on social media, especially with a short video clip showing the alleged thief trying out the phone.
Describing the experience as “the best lesson of 2017”, she urged the public to be extra careful of fraudsters when meeting up to complete a sale.
Jazira Salwa Sehak wrote in a Facebook post that she received a call from someone who was interested in buying her iPhone 7 not long after the item was put up for sale online.
“He called me in the evening and said he wanted to meet that night. Because he was even willing to bank in a deposit, I believed him,” she said.
After they agreed to meet in Gombak, she went with her husband and met with the caller at a restaurant there around midnight.
“He appeared normal and well-behaved, hanging out at the eatery like a regular person and talking about his wife. He said that he worked at Menara DBKL but was also a part-time technician,” she added.
According to Jazira, they sat for a long time chit-chatting and he even tested the smartphone, using his own SIM card in it.
The man then told Jazira and her husband that he had left his bag with the money to pay them at home.
“He called someone, whom he said was his sibling, on the same smartphone, asking the other person to bring the cash.
“Everything seemed normal until the ‘brother’ arrived in a black Vios and sounded the horn. The man then took a call (from the ‘brother’) and walked to the car as though wanting to collect the money as my husband followed him.”
It was at that moment that things took a different turn, according to Jazira.
“While walking with the phone he suddenly jumped into the car and it sped away. My husband tried to chase the car but to no avail.”
Jazira said her husband managed to note the car registration number and they lodged a police report on the incident.
She also uploaded a video on her Facebook page which shows the alleged thief trying out her iPhone 7 while at the eatery.
She warned people to be careful as “there are always crooks doing their work” even in places that appear crowded and safe.
