Three men assaulted for selling broken tiles as cellphones

Three men were assaulted by community members in the Verulam CBD – KZN, South Africa after being caught executing an elaborate scam involving the sale of broken tiles as cellphones.

At approximately 15:02 on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) responded to a distress call reporting a mob attacking three individuals on Moss Street. 

Upon arrival, Reaction Officers established that the men had been deceiving unsuspecting victims by posing as sellers of high-end smartphones, specifically the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

According to two victims, the scammers would approach potential buyers, showcasing a genuine Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (picture 6) to demonstrate its features. 

Pretending to be in urgent need of cash, they would agree to sell the phone at a significantly reduced price. 

After concluding the deal, the conmen would hand over an authentic Samsung Galaxy S24 box with a phone seemingly wrapped securely in toilet paper.

However, once the buyers were left alone, they would find nothing more than a piece of broken tile disguised within the packaging.

The deceit came to light after an elderly man lost R100 and another victim was duped out of R500. 

Upon realising they had been scammed, the victims alerted the public. 

The angered crowd managed to apprehend the suspects, recovering a bag containing two additional phone boxes filled with broken tiles.