Two suspects, aged 26 and 22, are expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, on charges of fraud and money laundering linked to a multi-million rand romance scam.
The two were arrested on Tuesday in Mfuleni and Strand by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crimes Investigation’s 419 Scam Task Team. Their arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into a 2024 case in which a complainant was allegedly defrauded of over R3.4 million.
The scam reportedly began on Facebook, where one of the suspects initiated contact with the complainant. Their communication later moved to WhatsApp, where the suspect spun a fabricated story about having a sick son who required urgent medical treatment.
According to the Hawks, he convinced the complainant to assist financially, claiming he would later reimburse the funds. The suspect allegedly sent the complainant banking login credentials and instructed them to transfer money on his behalf.
When the complainant was unable to complete the transfer, the suspect asked them to borrow and send a few thousand dollars to cover the “emergency.”
Over two months, the complainant sent more than R3.4 million to the suspect, who then allegedly distributed the funds to his accomplices. Despite assurances, no repayment was made.
The latest arrests bring the total number of arrests in the case to five.
In October 2024, Nigerian national Gabriel Okoli was arrested in Gordon’s Bay. He was followed by the arrest of Mr Motsamai in Orange Farm in March 2025 and Mr Mnguni in Soweto in June 2025. All three suspects are currently out on bail.
Mnguni is scheduled to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court today after his last appearance was postponed for him to obtain legal aid.
The Hawks say investigations are ongoing, and more arrests are expected as they work to dismantle what appears to be a well-coordinated scam network.
Authorities are once again urging members of the public to remain cautious when forming relationships online and to report any suspicious financial requests to law enforcement.
