overseas job scams DIRCO

DIRCO has warned young people against overseas job scams. Image: Pexels.

Two arrested in Cape Town for romance scam amounting to R930 000

Two people were arrested in Cape Town for their alleged involvement in a romance scam amounting to a whopping R930 000.

overseas job scams DIRCO

DIRCO has warned young people against overseas job scams. Image: Pexels.

A 51-year-old male and a 28-year-old female were arrested in Khayelitsha and Parklands for their alleged involvement in a romance scam amounting to R930 000. 

The two suspects were arrested on Friday, 22 July. 

TWO ARRESTED FOR THEIR ALLEGED ROMANCE SCAM

Police members of the Provincial Commercial Crimes Cyber Investigation unit conducted a tracing operation in the early hours of Friday, 22 July 2022 in Khayelitsha and Parklands with the intention to arrest suspects in a romance scam amounting to R930 000-00.

According to Western Cape police, members of the Provincial Commercial Crimes Cyber Investigation unit conducted a tracing operation which led to the arrest. 

Police said they believe the two are directly involved in a romance scheme, receiving money from their victims, on charges of fraud, theft, and contravention of the prevention of organised crime.

Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said electronic devices that were found on the premises were seized.

“Once charged, the suspects are expected to make their court appearance in the Atlantis Magistrate court on the mentioned charges,” Swartbooi said. 

SWINDLING ON THE RISE IN SA

A number of old South African men and women have fallen into romance scams that see them lose hundreds and thousands of their hard-earned money to swindlers who’ve made scamming people a job.

In June this year, two Pretoria women came forward to share how they were scammed by a man who sold them all sorts of lies and then disappeared into thin air.

Speaking to W24, two Pretoria women shared how they lost thousands after meeting a man on a dating app who convinced them to send him large sums of money for various reasons before disappearing.

Karen DuPlessis* shares that she lost R600 000 to a man she met in a shopping mall parking lot. According to her, she took out a number of loans to keep sending money to the man before she realised she was being scammed. Read the full story here.

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