conman

A conman pretending to be a traditional healer was busted when his victim reported him to police. Image: Pixabay

Conman pretending to be a traditional healer busted

A conman pretending to be a traditional healer ran out of luck when a savvy woman suspected foul play and alerted police

conman

A conman pretending to be a traditional healer was busted when his victim reported him to police. Image: Pixabay

A conman pretending to be a traditional healer ran out of luck when a quick-thinking woman alerted police of his illegal activities on Monday, 19 December.

Conman pretends to be a traditional healer from Uganda

A conman posing as a traditional healer from Uganda attempted to prey on the victim while she was looking for directions.

Unaware of his intentions, the victim offered to help him and directed him to Balfour.

As a thank you, the suspect offered the victim a ride to Balfour and they exchanged contact numbers.

The two are said to have started contacting each other, and as their communication progressed, the suspect ended up paying a visit to the victim at her residence.

The suspect overheard the victim and her friends discussing the dividends from their hard-earned Stokvel savings.

The suspect allegedly told her that they needed to go to the mountain so that he could pray for the money.

He then said they needed to take it to the river to be cleansed.

It is also claimed that the alleged conman remained trustworthy throughout.

He returned with a box full of blank notes and then requested that the victim bring him boiled water.

The alleged conman then placed three money-sized blank paper notes inside the boiling water.

He sprinkled powder on the blank money-sized blank papers.

The papers transformed and looked like real South African bank notes.

Victim suspects foul play and alerts police

The victim suspected foul play and immediately called the police, who responded and found the suspect at the victim’s home.

An investigation was launched, and while searching his belongings, police discovered a box inside his car.

The box contained blank notes that resembled South African bank notes.

According to the investigation, some well-cut paper fitting the size of money was discovered wrapped with genuine R100 bank notes.

The suspect was arrested and charged with fraud; he is scheduled to appear in the Balfour Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 21 December.

Police cannot rule out the possibility of charging the suspect with additional violations of the Immigration Act.

Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela , has praised the way the matter was handled.

“Criminals must understand that the province of Mpumalanga will never be allowed to be a playground for dirty deals,” Manamela said.

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