Eastern Cape Brothers Robbed and Killed After Responding to Facebook Marketplace Ad for TV

• Two brothers from the Eastern Cape have been tragically killed after being scammed on Facebook
• The siblings responded to an advert to buy a television, which was advertised on the marketplace of the social media platform
• Police are describing their murder as a senseless killing and are calling for anyone with information to come forward

Trisha Pillay is a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg. Beginning her 13-year-long career at eNCA, she honed her reporting skills and coverage of crime and court cases, which she further developed at The Citizen newspaper, African News Network and Newzroom Afrika. Do you have a hard news story you would like to share? Email: trisha.pillay@briefly.co.za with CA in the subject line.

NELSON MANDELA BAY - Eastern Cape police have confirmed that two brothers, aged 19 and 30, were murdered in Nelson Mandela Bay after responding to a Facebook advertisement.

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Facebook Scam

Aaron and Kyle Alberts from St Albans lost their lives after responding to an advertisement for a TV set on Facebook's Marketplace. According to the Sowetan, the brothers fell victim to a scam and were lured under false pretences, believing they were meeting a seller for a TV.

However, they discovered it was a setup upon arriving at the provided address. The house occupants denied placing any ad or having knowledge of a sale, leading to suspicions.

Brothers robbed

According to the police, as the brothers were still at the location, they were confronted by two suspects who robbed and fatally shot them. Their belongings, including cellphones, cash, and vehicle, were taken. The bakkie was recovered not far from the crime scene.

Police are actively investigating the double murder and cautioning the public about the risks associated with online sales.

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Law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information regarding the murders to come forward and assist in tracing the perpetrators.

Mzansi stunned at senseless killings

Netizens have described the murder as senseless and have raised concerns about the high crime rate in South Africa. They also voiced concerns over Facebook Marketplace.

Here are some of the reactions:

@Stévèń Nhļàyiso Ñgøbëñî said:

"I've been using Facebook marketplace since 2022, and I always opt to meet at the police station or an open place."

@Mandla Hlengani commented:

"Rest in peace."

@Lucky P Mtimandze shared:

"The problem is that our social media is run. If only it were running according to our terms, none of this would be happening."

@Princess Wa Khumalo explained:

"Last week, I saw a car in the marketplace, and when I went to the given address, it didn’t exist."

@Michael Nyathi said:

"Unfortunately, there's a lot of scammers in that marketplace, but few are legitimate."

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SA in tears over Facebook Marketplace listings

In a similar story, Briefly News reported about a man who made a funny TikTok video of what he found for sale on social media, and it was a viral hit.

People were in stitches as they saw the things tried to sell on the Facebook marketplace, and the TikTokker's commentary was hilarious.

TikTok users could not hold back from making fun of random items people tried to pass off as valuable goods.

Source: Briefly News