The murder of seven family members who were allegedly murdered by a man they met on Facebook in 2014 pretending to be a relative has once again put in the spotlight the dangers of social media.
Their deaths are just some of the few examples of how people have been taken advantage of by those they met online. There are many others just as the following:
January 2018
A 25 year old mother of two from Soweto said she had been raped by a man she met on Facebook. The woman said she did not suspect anything when the alleged rapist befriended her on Facebook and sent her an inbox message three days before the ordeal, expressing love for her.
She said they met at Jabulani Mall, Soweto, and bought her lunch. She said instead of dropping her off at home later, the alleged rapist drove to a secluded area in Protea, also in Soweto.
He then parked under a tree and when she stepped out of the car to answer her phone, he followed her, pulled her by the hair and forced her back into the car where he raped her.
Mach 2018
A Cape Town man was arrested for the alleged rape of a teenager he had met on social media. He had posed as a much younger person and convinced her to send topless pictures of herself.
He then set up a meeting with her. Upon arrival, the teenager discovered his age and tried to leave. However, the man allegedly threatened to expose the pictures on social media and shame her.
He is alleged to have raped her then. He called her again and used the same threat and that's when she informed the police and the man was arrested.
May 2108
A 16-year-old girl, was one of the victims of the so-called "Facebook rapist". The teenager had allegedly lied to her mother saying she was off to a friend's house to study whereas she was meeting a new Facebook friend who ended up raping her.
The alleged rapist befriended young women, mostly teenagers on Facebook and later communicated with them through WhatsApp.
He used pictures of a sport star to lure women into speaking to him before he met them in person then raped and robbed them.
June 2016
A Cape Town man was sentenced to 20 years behind bars in 2016 after using Facebook, Blackberry messenger and WhatsApp to contact his victims aged between 12 and 16.
He was charged with 148 counts of sex crimes against children, including rape, extortion, sexual grooming of children, creation of child pornography and the distribution of child pornography between 2012 and 2014.