Cape Town Woman Scammed Off Of R844 000 By Tinder Catfish. R844 000 was allegedly scammed off a woman from Cape Town by someone she thought was supposed to be her partner.
R844 000 was allegedly scammed off a woman from Cape Town by someone she thought was supposed to be her partner. According to the Hawks on Wednesday, the man and woman connected on the dating application, Tinder. Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase states that one man and two ladies were apprehended as they were linked with the scam.
Gcobisa Sintu was apprehended at Port Elizabeth on the 25th of October, Tando Magwevana was apprehended a day after in East London. Luyanda Bacela, the third suspect, was apprehended earlier on in the month of October at Cape Town. The suspects have already been to court. The three suspects have allegedly taken money from the 54-year-old lady between 2017 and 2018. The lady was made to think that she connected with a successful businessman and have grown relationship, according to the Lieutenant-Colonel.
“The victim was further tricked into offering her money to help the online lover to overcome business-related challenges, with the hope that the money was going to be paid back,” says Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase. He also states that the woman was promised to be paid back with an interest. Even though they had never met in person, the Cape Town lady thought that the person that she communicated with, also on the phone, was the man that she thought she would spend her life with so she didn’t have a problem with loaning him some money.
She transferred the money to multiple bank accounts , even through money markets. Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase states that once the money was not being transferred anymore the communication also stopped. The woman filed a case with the police after she noted what had happened. The police officials examined the matter. They police officials “followed the money”, which got them to apprehend the three suspects that are now looking at charges of fraud. He also says that there might be other apprehensions as they think that other people supposedly were advantaged. The money hasn’t been gotten back yet.
by Alexandra Ramaite