When Debbie downloaded the Namola app onto her family’s smartphones, she thought that it would become one of those apps they never used and eventually forgot about.
Never in her wildest dreams did she think that it would assist her in locating her nephew and saving his life. Debbie’s nephew, Kyle, works in the family business and was on his way to Sun City when disaster struck.
Three men jumped out the car wielding guns
“He was driving towards Sun City on the R556 when he saw a huge boulder in the road,” says Debbie. “He slowed down to try and pass it but there was an oncoming car and so he had to stop. To his horror, the oncoming car stopped too. Three men jumped out the car wielding guns and forced their way into his car.”
Kyle, held hostage by three of the assailants, was followed by the other car to a remote location where he was beaten until he gave them the pin to his bank card. Cleverly, Kyle gave them the card that was linked with his aunt’s account and said a silent prayer that Debbie would realise that something was wrong when she received the irregular payment notifications on her phone. Kyle’s prayers were answered by Debbie’s spidey senses when her phone sent three alerts of strange payments within a matter of minutes. Debbie called Kyle to see if he was alright.
My instinct told me something was wrong
“My instinct told me that something was wrong. He would never use this card without consulting my husband or I. When I called him my calls just went to voicemail. But in my gut I knew that something was not right and so I continued to call,” said Debbie.
Kyle convinced the perpetrators to let him answer his phone after the fourth time that Debbie called him, to put her mind at ease so that she would stop calling. They agreed, but held a gun to Kyle’s head, demanding that when he answered the phone he was to say that everything was fine.
“In case someone was listening I didn’t want them to know, that I knew about the card. So I just asked Kyle if he was alright,” said Debbie. “He just kept on answering ‘yes’ to all of my questions. I decided to ask him a question that he couldn’t say yes to. When I did this and he said ‘yes’, my blood ran cold. I knew that he was in deep trouble.”
Debbie requested assistance through the Namola App
Debbie hung up the phone, and suddenly remembered that she was able to help Kyle by requesting help through the Namola app. “I wasn’t sure that anyone was going to believe my story as I did not have concrete evidence that he was being held against his will. Just a feeling. But the operator was so efficient. She took the locations of the alerts that I had received from my banking app, as well as asked if I had access to Kyle's live location on Namola.
Thank goodness I did,” says Debbie. “With this information, she was able to get the police to not only track the location of the criminals but also the location of Kyle with the remaining perpetrators holding him hostage.”
One of the perpetrators was caught red-handed using Debbie’s card at a shopping centre close to where the hijacking took place, but unfortunately, the other two managed to get away. They alerted the perpetrators holding Kyle hostage, who got spooked and took off on foot, leaving Kyle and his car, shaken but safe. Minutes later the police arrived at his location, thanks to the use of the GPS location on his phone.
“I cannot thank you enough for finding my nephew”
“The app had a quick response and the operator was helpful through the whole process. I cannot thank you enough for finding my nephew. I have and will continue to recommend the Namola app to everyone I know.”
If this story teaches you anything, it’s these four things:
1. Ensure that you have banking alerts on your bank accounts.
2. Make sure that you share your live-location with your loved ones (and that they do the same).
3. Make use of the Namola app in an emergency
4. Always trust your gut.
Download the Namola app for free here. Upgrade your plan to Namola plus, and get the first month for FREE.
Simply tap the N+ tab in your app and choose a plan that suits you and the needs of your loved ones. If you have any questions about the Namola app, tap your "SOS" button and select "Test" to speak to the operator on the other end of the line.
Namola Plus Plans
Individual Plan (1 user) - R59 per month or R 649 per annum
Couples Plan (2 users) - R 99 per month or R999 per annum
Family Plan (Up to 5 users) - R129 per month or R 1299 per annum
Get up to 50% off when you add a Namola Plus subscription to your DStv bill. Find out more here
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