A 48-year-old man accused of defrauding his victims through an online dating scam is expected to appear at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court today for alleged fraud and money laundering.
The suspect who allegedly scammed people out of millions of rands, was arrested last week Friday, 26 July 2019 following in a joint operation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
It is alleged that the suspect lured mostly USA based victims from a dating site. After building a certain level of trust the victims were tricked into paying the suspect for apparent business related challenges in the guise that the money was going to be paid back. The Hawks and the FBI linked the suspect to over R4.1 million transferred to a South African based company owned by the suspect.
Meanwhile, in a separate and unrelated matter – Wilson Harry Davidson (53), appeared at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 18th July 2019, for alleged Road Accident Fund fraud (RAF), valued at R800 000. He was arrested on the 18th July 2019, after a warrant of arrest was issued in his name following the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime investigation into the alleged fraudulent RAF claim of the 18th August 2016.
Davidson allegedly claimed that he had been a passenger of a vehicle that overturned at the Klipheuwel Road, Malmesbury on the 25th October 2013, when in fact he was the driver. Hawks investigations have revealed that Davidson reportedly lied in an attempt to avoid facing reckless, negligence and an additional charge of culpable homicide, as a passenger in his vehicle got injured.
The fraud case against Davidson has been transferred to Malmesbury Magistrate’s Court for the 15th August 2019.
