****mer using FNB Bank account 63058564684

*****ULENT ****MER!

Statement made to South African police as follows:

STATEMENT • On Friday 8th September, I contacted NeoSmart (www.NeoSmart.co.za) having seen a gate motor I wanted to buy on their website • I contacted them via WhatsApp using the number listed on their website: (064 628 9503) • After a lengthy conversation, I ordered a Centurion D5 Smart gate motor for R5,000 and two batteries at R200. This came to a total of R5,400 – see Figure 1 below • I was sent an email from shop@neosmart.co.za containing an invoice – see figure 2 below • I paid the invoice the same day from my Investec bank account (copy attached) • Funds were paid as requested to FNB Bank, Account number: 63058564684, Branch code: 250655

• On Sunday 10th September, I received a WhatsApp message informing me that (now the payment was received), my “motor will bee [sic] shipped tomorrow”, ie. On Tuesday.

• On Wednesday 13th, I chased up and was told I would be sent a tracking code that afternoon • I received a tracking code, but it informed that the goods had not been shipped – merely that some goods were to be picked up by bobgo.co.za from an undisclosed location • I contacted the Client Services department of the courier and was told "Kindly note I have doubled checked and we don't have the merchant by the name of Neosmart on our platform" (Florence Maloka, Client Services Consultant; +27 12 940 1060; support@bobgo.co.za). In a follow-up phone conversation with Florence, she added that the received notification seemed to be ****

• On Thursday 14th September, I messaged NeoSmart and asked why they hadn’t shipped the goods and had only pretended to do so • NeoSmart claimed the problem was “stock issues”

• On Tuesday 19th, they asked if I’d received my delivery. This was an obvious red-flag because since they knew they hadn’t sent it, they were obviously trying to delay me in making a report to the bank and the police

• On Wednesday 20th, I asked for the tracking number of the (now certainly) non-existent shipment. I also asked why the landline number on their website (011 568 9826) had been disconnected. I demanded answers regarding my shipment, but none were given

• On Thursday 21st I received one last assurance that “Will ship today definitely”. I asked for a tracking number, but the mobile phone has now been turned off permanently and has ignored every communication since, including those via email. The office landline phone number listed on the website (011 568 9826) is not/no longer connected

• On Friday 22nd I contacted my bank (Investec) who said that I should contact the police so that a crime reference number could be obtained and they could contact FNB • Investec advised that with the perpetrators bank account details and phone numbers (in red above) along with the 117 Turvey Street, Benoni address listed on their website, the police should be able to identify the perpetrator • FNB obviously hold the ID of the account owner too, so determining who is responsible for these *****s should be a relatively simple matter. • I have emailed the domainname supplier abuse email address listed on the WhoIs: entry for NeoSmart asking whether, and with what proof, the site can be taken down in order to prevent other South Africans from being de*****ed

I swear that the above is an entirely accurate summary of events