Scammer targets premiership side Highlands Park

Premiership side Highlands Park has been targeted by a scammer who is posing as a representative of the club and using social media to lure unsuspecting victims.

A man is asking aspirant footballers‚ their parents and agents on Twitter and Facebook to attend the club's trials at Esselen Park on October 21.

Interested players have been asked to bring a R2,500 fee together with their passports or ID documents.

But irate Highlands Park club director Sinky Mnisi says this is a scam and not only have they never heard of the man whose name appears on the tweet‚ they are not conducting trials on the date.

"I want to urgently warn our people in football that we do not know the person and we will have no trials (on the date)‚" he said on Monday.

"This is a pure scam.

"We have not appointed anybody to hold trials on our behalf.

"Even when we have trials‚ we never charge aspirant footballers a cent."

Mnisi said he personally called the number and pretended as if he was interested in bringing a player for trials.

"He confirmed October 21 as the date and Esselen Park as the venue‚" said Mnisi.

"He said I must send him a WhatsApp contact number so that he can send me application forms and his bank details so that I deposit the amount of money required to be part on the trials.

"I promised to do as advised but in the meantime I want to warn our people not to fooled by that Twitter message because it has got absolute nothing to do with Highlands Park.

"This guy says our coach Owen da Gama will be involved. How? We will be in Durban on October 20 for our Premiership league match against Maritzburg United."

TimesLIVE called the number and the man on the other side of the line said his offices were in Balfour Park.

"You need to deposit R2,500 so that I send you the registration forms‚" the man said.

"Send your WhatsApp number to the number I gave you so that we do everything quickly so that your son will have space for trials next week.

"He must bring his ID or passport."

Mnisi confirmed that they have reported the matter to the police.