Johannesburg Woman Drugged, Robbed After Fake ‘Friend’ Lures Her To Rosebank Hotel

A Johannesburg woman has laid a criminal complaint at the Rosebank police station after she was allegedly drugged and robbed in what she describes as a carefully staged trap by a stranger pretending to be her friend.

The woman, who spoke to the Sunday Times anonymously, said she had no suspicion of foul play when a message arrived from her friend’s phone number.

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She has now shared her story publicly in the hope that other women will recognise the warning signs and avoid falling into similar schemes.

“I received a message from my friend’s number and truly thought it was her. She said she was not OK and urgently needed to meet at a hotel,” she said.

Johannesburg Hotel Scam

Worried about her friend’s wellbeing, the woman booked a hotel room in Rosebank and forwarded the room details to the number she believed belonged to her friend.

Shortly afterwards, another message came through. The sender claimed she was running late and would send a trusted male friend instead.

“When I heard a knock on my door, I saw a man in a white shirt, black jeans and a black bucket hat. He claimed my friend had sent him,” she said.

The man arrived carrying energy drinks and bottled water. She accepted a bottle of sparkling water.

“Everything seemed normal until I drank the water. I suddenly felt lightheaded, and the man kept talking, trying to keep me engaged. Then he attempted to rape me but failed. I think he stopped because he noticed I was on my period,” she said.

Armed Robbery Ordeal: Gun Allegedly Drawn as Suspect Forces Uber Trip

The woman alleges the man then produced a firearm and pointed it at her, ordering her to follow instructions.

“He told me to order an Uber on my phone and insisted I behave normally when we left the hotel. I was terrified, but I did as he said to protect myself.”

When they left the hotel, the suspect carried her handbag and repeatedly referred to her as “babe” in front of the Uber driver to create the impression they were a couple.

She said the firearm remained aimed at her through her bag, concealed from the driver’s view.

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The journey continued to Randburg. Once there, the suspect exited the vehicle with her phone and handbag, instructing the driver to wait. He never came back.

The Uber driver allowed her to use his phone to contact her family.

“I keep replaying it in my mind, asking myself what I could have done differently,” she said.

She now hopes authorities will track down the suspect before anyone else becomes a victim. Police spokesperson Capt Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed that an armed robbery case has been registered and that investigations are under way. “No arrests have been made yet,” Sibeko said.