A former civil servant and her two accomplices was sentenced to ten years in prison. Image via Pexels – Rodnae Productions
Fraud sentence: Cape Town woman jailed for defrauding RCS
A woman from Cape Town’s Gugulethu who defrauded RCS has been sentenced to five years in jail. The 48-year-old repeatedly used illegal credit cards.
A former civil servant and her two accomplices was sentenced to ten years in prison. Image via Pexels – Rodnae Productions
Defrauding RSC has forced this Cape Town woman to leave her home for a five-year jail sentence, the Bellville Magistrate’s court ruled on Friday.
WOMAN’S RCS FRAUD
According to the report, the lady had enjoyed several shopping sprees with fake credit cards. The deceit cost the company thousands of Rands as she was changed on three separate counts.
Cynthia Phela was sentenced to five years in jail for defrauding RCS. The woman was arrested three times in Tygervalley, Mitchells Plain as well as in Somerset West between 2019 and 2020.
“The court heard that on October 5, 2019, Phela using the name Nelisile Fortunate Sikhosana purchased a Playstation 4 Pro worth R7 999 and a Eurolux fan worth R219 at Game in Tygervalley,” said NPA provincial spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila via IOL.
“An investigation later revealed that the card belonged to Ruchalle van Schalkwyk, who disputed the purchase.
“She was subsequently arrested by a security guard while in the store.”
Phela’s second arrest came in June 2019 after she tried to buy goods at a CNA store in Stellenbosch, where she attempted to use a Sapphire Reserve Bank card.
“The card was linked to a Game store card account registered under the name of AB Hoffman, however, it belonged to Ms N Wilson,” Ntabazalila added.
“She used the card to buy groceries at a chain store in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, worth R6 529. On July 15 2019, the RCS Fraud Prevention Unit received a call from Ms N Wilson, disputing purchases made on her Game store card.”
PHELA’S 2020 ARREST
The Cape Town woman’s RCS fraud case resulted in an arrest when the company received communication from Coricraft in Somerset Mall.
Phela tried to collect a new card for a new account as “Gloria Ncane Ndashi.”
“Phela was arrested on February 11, 2020. She resisted arrest and destroyed a SIM card that was on her upon her arrest.
“Investigations also revealed that the card was manufactured by the same embossing machine that was used by two men who were arrested in Gugulethu in connection with an illegal card cloning laboratory,” Ntabazalila said.
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