Hendrik Rautenbach, 34, posted on Facebook that he was selling a truck, but then he allegedly defrauded a man who wanted to buy the truck from him.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said Rautenbach was arrested on Saturday in Springs, Gauteng, where he was apparently in hiding.
He said Rautenbach allegedly defrauded the man out of R400,000 in April 2022.
The man made a deposit of R320,000 to him in order to get the truck.
"It is further alleged that when he communicated with the alleged fraudster, he was told to pay the remaining balance before getting the truck. The victim then made another deposit of the outstanding amount, but still could not get the truck as promised," he said.
Mohlala said the buyer travelled to the given address, only to find the truck was not there.
"A case was only opened by the complainant at Standerton SAPS in December 2022; thereafter, an investigation was conducted, and that was when the astute members began searching for the suspect who was in hiding," he said.
Rautenbach appeared in the Standerton Magistrate's Court on Monday where he was granted bail of R10,000.
"The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has reiterated the call for people to be careful when buying properties from various social media platforms, as many people were scammed," Mohlala said.
IOL