Mpumalanga Hawks arrested two foreign nationals, aged 38 and 45, after they tried to allegedly scam their landlord of his inheritance money.
The men, from Uganda and Zambia, were arrested on Friday in Sonheuwel, Nelspruit.
They have been charged with fraud ,contravening the provision of Section 235 (1)(a) of the Tax Administration Act, Act 28 of 2011 and Section 34 (f) of South African Reserve Bank Act, Act 90 of 1989.
Provincial Hawks spokesperson, Thandi Tshabalala, said the men were arrested after trying to convince their landlord to give them his inheritance money with a promise of multiplying it.
“The landlord was also persuaded to assist in purchasing chemicals to remove dye-stains from cash notes, with the promise of a share. The landlord reported the matter and the matter was escalated to the Hawks Nelspruit for further handling,” said Tshabalala.
Tshabalala added that a search and seizure operation was conducted and they found a huge bundle of black paper money notes, three bottles of chemical, and a steel safe.
“It is further alleged that the accused targets women in the government sector. They convince them to resign and cash out their pensions so that they can assist them with multiplying their pension money,” added Tshabalala.
The duo is expected to appear before the Nelspruit Magistrates Court on Monday, November 11, 2024.
Meanwhile, the provincial head of Hawks, Major General Nicholas Jacobus Gerber, urged members of the public not to fall for ridiculous scams.
“These people are unscrupulous and will stop at nothing to get their hands on your cash. There is no chemical or process in the world that can double your money. The public is urged to report such requests to the police,” he said.
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