The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, has arrested 37-year-old Caroline Diana Sserufusa after she allegedly received money, more than R600,000 defrauded from an unsuspecting North West woman in a romance scam.
Sserufusa, aged 37, and her company on Wednesday appeared before the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Klerksdorp, on charges of fraud and money laundering.
Warrant Officer Amogelang Malwetse, North West spokesperson for the Hawks said in June 2023, a 47-year-old woman who is the complainant in the case, allegedly met and dated a Nigerian man only known to her as Chris.
The name of the scammed woman, aged 47, is withheld in an effort to protect her from victimization.
“After a few weeks of dating, the man reportedly advised her to resign from work, claim her pension funds, and give it to him. The victim allegedly complied, and in July 2023, she received a pension payout of R634 169,” said Malwetse.
After receiving her pension payout, the 47-year-old woman informed her boyfriend, Chris.
A Hawks reports indicate that Chris went to the victim's house in Jouberton township, North West, and asked for the woman’s banking app login details.
The woman gave him the login details, and Chris used the banking app to transfer an amount of R610,000 into a bank account which was unknown to his lover.
After that transaction, the scammed woman says that was the last time she saw Chris.
“The matter was referred to the Klerksdorp-based Hawks' serious commercial crime investigation unit for further investigation. An investigation revealed that the money was transferred to a business account called TNH Collection and General Trading (Pty) LTD, whose sole director is Caroline Diana Sserufusa,” said Malwetse.
On Monday, Sserufusa was subsequently arrested in Johannesburg.
Sserufusa was granted R8,000 bail when she appeared before the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Klerksdorp.
Her matter was postponed to October 25 for legal representation.
Meanwhile, North West acting head of the Hawks, Brigadier Silas Munzhedzi and the Director of Public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari have saluted the investigation and prosecution teams “for ensuring that the accused faces the full might of the law”.
IOL has been running the scammed series, where numerous South African women have now joined hands, speaking out against the rampant romance scams.
The targeted women who are often breadwinners in their households, are left destitute, emotionally traumatised with some women reportedly committing suicide after being scammed.
In July, IOL reported that a Gauteng mother in her 50s is ruing the day she met the man who became her lover for about a year, before he disappeared with her pension lump sum of R2.8 million, leaving her and her two sons without enough to eat.
In an interview with IOL, Nothando, the mother whose identity is withheld to protect her from victimisation, opened a case at Pretoria North SA Police Service (SAPS), which has been confirmed by Gauteng police.
In July as well, IOL reported that police in North West have launched a manhunt for an audacious scammer who targeted a woman, who was a member of the South African Police Service (SAPS), got into a romantic relationship with her, and later conned her of almost R3 million.
During the romantic relationship, the Ugandan national pretended to be a medical doctor, and swindled the unsuspecting police captain, aged 53.
Responding to a query by IOL, North West provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said the wanted man in his 30s was known as Kalvin Sofika by the police woman.
“The 53-year-old victim met the suspect who is a Ugandan national at a certain shopping complex in Rustenburg (around September last year). He introduced himself as a Dr Kalvin Sofika, and they exchanged contact details. The woman and the suspect Kalvin Sofika who is in his late 30s, started dating,” said Mokgwabone at the time.
In another case, IOL has reported that 44-year-old suspect, Congolese national Joseph Hassan Yaye, appeared before the Makhado Magistrate’s Court, after he was arrested on charges of fraud and theft.
Yaye appeared in the Limpopo court, and was remanded in custody for the arrangement of an interpreter and legal representation.
“It is alleged that the suspect and his accomplice defrauded a 54-year-old woman a substantial amount of money during May 2023. The victim was an employee at Limpopo (SA Police Service) SAPS,” said Limpopo provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
“She was allegedly convinced by the suspect (Yaye) to resign from work and invest her payout money into a business venture. She eventually resigned, and after receiving her lump sum money, she allegedly withdrew an amount of R500,000 and gave (it to) the suspect who is currently on the run.”
The unsuspecting woman was further convinced to transfer another amount of money into the bank account of Yaye.
IOL