Dating scam: Men in court after unsuspecting woman lost R3 million to online lover
Image: Hawks
Three men are on Tuesday scheduled to appear in court after they were arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, for defrauding a woman of her R3 million in a dating scam.
Last week, IOL reported that a third suspect was arrested for an intense scam where an unidentified woman lost R3 million in the name of love, back in 2024.
The victim, whose identity is withheld to protect her from victimisation, said she developed an online relationship with a person she believed was a white man called 'Mark Hermanus', whom she had met on Facebook.
Gauteng Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela said after exchanging numbers, the woman and the scammer started chatting on WhatsApp, and once they had 'gotten to know each other", the scammer asked her to lend him money to pay the medical bills of his sick son.
But these weren't modest medical bills, and the unsuspecting woman eventually parted with R3 million, which she deposited into two bank accounts.
After the crime was reported to the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit, an investigation ensued and the first suspect, Gabriel Okori, was arrested in Cape Town in October 2024. Okori, a Nigerian national, was in November released on bail of R5,000. Okori has been attending his court appearances on charges of fraud and theft.
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In March, IOL reported that a second suspect, Justice Motsamai Khanyapa, was arrested in connection with the scam. Khanyapa was arrested in Orange Farm, Johannesburg, and he was released on bail of R1,000 by the Pretoria Magistrate's Court.
A third suspect, Thabo Derrick Mnguni, was arrested on 23 June. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
The Hawks said all three accused men - Okori, Khanyapa, and Mnguni - will appear on Tuesday before the Pretoria Magistrate's Court. Mnguni is expected to apply for bail.
According to the Hawks, the money defrauded from the unsuspecting woman was deposited into the bank accounts of Khanyapa and Mnguni.
Meanwhile, head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, commended the 'meticulous investigation' conducted by the investigating team, and cautioned members of the public to be vigilant and safeguard themselves against such scams.
Since last year, IOL has been running the scammed series where several women and men have lost their hard-earned money, including pensions and bank loans, through romance scams. The victims have regrouped and are knocking on different doors, demanding answers.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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