The following has been shared by a concerned Hilton resident who fears that he has been taken in by a con man who may approach other Hilton residents.
'I would like to warn members of the Hilton community about a con man operating in the area.
More than two weeks ago (13th June), this individual said that he would remove the garden refuse that I was clearing from my property. I paid him and his labourer an initial amount of R200 to move the refuse out of my garden and onto the verge, which he did. He then said that he needed R600 to pay for the truck to come and collect the garden refuse. I paid him the money and ever since he has been promising that he will come to remove the refuse, but each time, on the day when he is supposed to come, he has a new excuse. He was supposed to come on Saturday last week, then he changed that to Sunday, and then Monday (yesterday). He didn't arrive and I tried to contact him numerous times on his cell phone yesterday and today, but his phone goes straight to voicemail.
This individual is an Indian male who is about 5.5 ft tall, with a stocky build and usually wears a cap. He claims to have a number of customers that he does garden work for in Hilton, removing garden refuse and supplying compost and instant lawn. He is well spoken and polite and is approximately 50-60 years old.'
Alternate local garden service and product providers may be found here.